This is Murder
by Seal Pup
Summary: COMPLETE! This story is in two parts. First, the gang gets a call from a young woman who claims that she is being haunted by a face. Then, the gang is invited to visit Velma's cousin down in Austraila where something evil awaits them.
1. The Call

It is a stormy, chilly, late September night. On the northeastern end of Coolsville, on a particular intersection of two little streets, there is a particular little house. In that particular little house there is a bedroom facing the backyard. In that bedroom, there is a young woman sleeping soundly. She is in her early twenties, chestnut brown hair, fairly pretty, and fairly well to do.  
  
Suddenly, there is a crack of lightning. The girl wakes up. It had been a while since Coolsville has had a storm like this one, so she decides to watch it for a while. She sits there looking at the rain and thinking back to her childhood. How she used to be afraid of thunderstorms and what her next-door neighbor used to say that the flashes of lightning are angels taking pictures and the thunder are off-duty guardian angels bowling.  
  
Then, there is a colossal strike of lightning, and suddenly, there in the window, appears a face. This face looks neither dead nor alive; it is a ghastly, pale face with a look of terror.  
  
The woman screams. The face then leaves.  
  
The woman sits there terrified, then, gathering up her wits together, she reaches for the phonebook. She franticly looks through it. "Let's see...Mysterious Five... Mystery...Mysteries Five... Mystery Inc! 987- 5502...Emergency number...987-5502*." She quickly dials the latter number. A young girl picks it up on the other end.  
  
"You have reached the headquarters of Mystery Incorporated, Velma Dinkley speaking. How may I help you?" She says in a sleepy voice.  
  
"Ah, yes...my name is Maclbe...Sarah Maclbe...Miss Sarah Maclbe...I believe I have a new mystery for you." Comes a shaky voice on the other end.  
  
At this, Velma became fully awake and her eyes became wide open. She instantly reaches to her bedside table for her glasses, pencil and notepad.  
  
"Jinkies! Go on..." She says.  
  
"Well, this may sound silly of me..." the other woman began, "but lately I have been seeing a face in my bedroom window. These appearances come to me frequently."  
  
"Describe this face." Velma urges while she takes notes.  
  
The Sarah describes it.  
  
"Well, this does sound interesting." Velma finally says, "how soon do would you like us there?"  
  
Sarah becomes very excited and answers, "Please, as soon as possible."  
  
"What is your address?"  
  
"35 Lakewood Ave." is the reply.  
  
"Right then!" Velma says with a grin on her face and hangs up the phone. She looks at her clock; it's 4:30 a.m. "Now to get the gang!"  
  
She immediately calls up Fred and Daphne. Both of them agree to come. "Good," Velma says as she hangs up the phone, "now for the guys." She quickly dials up Shaggy's house. She put her phone on speaker so she could get dressed.  
  
Over a Shaggy's house the phone rings. Scooby and Shaggy are in the kitchen eating, as usual. "Like let it ring, Scoob." Says Shaggy with his mouth full of food. The answering machine picks it up.  
  
"Awe nuts!" thinks Velma. She always hated it when Shaggy gave her the machine.  
  
Like you have reached the Roger's house, If, like you would like to speak to Dad, like please press 1 If, like you would like to speak to Mom, like please press 2 If, like you would like to speak to both Mom and Dad, like please press 3 If, like you would like to speak to Norville a.k.a. Shaggy, like please press 4 If, like you would like to speak to Scoobert a.k.a. Scooby, please press 5 If, like you would like to speak to both Shaggy and Scooby, please press 6 If, like you don't care who you talk to please press 7 If, like you are a telemarketer or just getting tired of my voice, like please hang up  
  
The message began to run again.  
  
"Alright, alright already." Says Velma. She presses six.  
  
Like please leave your message after the tone: Scooby-dooby-doo!  
  
"Shaggy, pick up the phone this instant!" Velma yells on the other end.  
  
Shaggy recognizing the voice reluctantly says, "Like hit the speaker will ya, Scoob." "Rokay," replies Scooby and does what he is told.  
  
"Like hi, Velma." Says Shaggy, "Scoob and me are just having a midnight snack." Velma who now is fully dressed responds in disgust, "Shaggy, it's four forty in the morning!" "It is? My, like time really flies when your having fun! Huh, Scoob?" "Ruh, huh!" Replies Scooby stuffing his mouth full of food. Both Shaggy and Scooby laugh hysterically.  
  
"Now listen you guys," Velma finally broke in, "I have received a call from a Miss Sarah Maclbe who has a new mystery for us."  
  
"Like at this hour?"  
  
"She called the emergency number. Freddy will be picking you guys up shortly, so get ready."  
  
Without letting Shaggy answer back, Velma hangs up the phone.  
  
Shaggy follows suit. He then turns to Scooby, "Like we better get ready then, boy."  
  
A few moments later Fred, Daphne, and Velma pull up in the Mystery Machine. It is still raining. Freddy honks the horn. "Ready to go, Shaggy?" he yells. "Like be right there, Fred." A voice calls back. Scooby and Shaggy join the gang in the van.  
  
For a while, there is absolute silence as Fred drives to Sarah's house. "So Velma," says Daphne, breaking the silence, "tell us more about what this Miss Maclbe." "Yeah," joins in Fred, "you didn't say much in your phone call." "Well, she didn't say much," starts Velma shrugging her shoulders, "she just stated that there is some sort of face outside her bedroom window."  
  
"So?" the rest inquire in unison.  
  
"It gives her the creeps."  
  
When they arrive at their destination, it is four twenty and the rain has stopped.  
  
As soon as the Mystery Machine drives up, Sarah runs out crying and lands into Freddy's arms.  
  
"Oh thank heaven you've come, it came again!" she sobbed.  
  
"Like, what came?" asks Shaggy.  
  
"The face!"  
  
"Where?" asks Daphne.  
  
'My bedroom window, it's out back." Replies the young girl. No sooner had they heard this Daphne and Velma started running to the yard. They jumped over the fence, which separates the front and the back yards, with the greatest of ease. As soon as they reached the back both girls started looking around for clues, but found nothing. "Not even a footprint." Pouts Velma. "Maybe not," responds Daphne, "but...hey I found some!" Velma takes a look at them, then states, "Those are ours!"  
  
Freddy, Shaggy and Scooby had by this time calmed down Miss Maclbe and had come outside to help look around.  
  
"Anything, girls?" inquires Fred.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Like those are pretty nice flowers." States Shaggy as he points to a little flowerbed underneath the window.  
  
"Yeah," says Velma, "but something seems a bit fishy."  
  
"What's that?" asks Daphne.  
  
"Well, it might be just me," starts Velma, "but for being in the shade, these flowers are doing very well. Better than those in the sunlight. Yet, they are not meant to grow in the shade."  
  
"Like Velma, I didn't know you knew anything about agriculture." Says Shaggy.  
  
"Yeah," jokes Freddie, "you can't even make a cactus last for at least two days!"  
  
Daphne and Scooby giggle and Velma feels her face go red for a few minutes.  
  
"I don't, actually," she finally speaks, "I just have an uncle who works in that field."  
  
The gang go into the house to see if there are clues and to question Sarah.  
  
"When do you think these visits with this face started?" inquires Fred.  
  
"I don't know." Is the reply "I guess two days ago...yes! It was then that my employer disappeared!"  
  
"Like who disappeared?" gulps Shaggy who had helped himself to Sarah's kitchen.  
  
"Reah rho?" interrogates Scooby.  
  
"I believe I know," explains Velma turning to Sarah, she asks, "you mean Miss Catharine Smith if Smith Household Products don't you?"  
  
"Why yes! But how did you..."  
  
"It was in the paper."  
  
"I remember that article," recalls Daphne, "my father lost a huge stock investment because of that."  
  
"Why, Daph?" asks Freddie.  
  
"People got to thinking that the stock was no good and that the disappearance was a gag to make it go higher." The red-haired girl explains.  
  
"I see that you guys are always up to date in the news!" exclaims Sarah.  
  
Everyone laughs.  
  
In the kitchen, Sarah offers the gang some breakfast. They had been there for over two hours and dawn's first light is peeping over the horizon.  
  
Fred and Daphne are sharing a bowl of oatmeal, Velma's munching down on a bagel with way too much cream cheese and Scooby and Shaggy are chewing down on who knows what is on their plate. Sarah sits there having her morning coffee.  
  
"So you worked for Smith Household Products?" Asks Velma swallowing down a piece of her bagel.  
  
"No, I still work for them." Is the reply.  
  
"Oh, sorry." apologizes Velma.  
  
"That's okay." Sarah reassures her, "Yes, I was Miss Smith's private secretary. Now I'm just another hired hand."  
  
"Jeepers!" exclaims Daphne.  
  
"Yeah," sighs Sarah "but soon I'm going to be out of the job. The company's going bankrupt."  
  
"Gosh, that's to bad," says Fred.  
  
"Yes, but at least I won't have to worry about money" Sarah smiles.  
  
"Like why is that?" inquires Shaggy stuffing his face full of food.  
  
"Miss Smith has often looked to me as a daughter since she, herself, has no children." the girl explains, "So if anything happens to her that may keep her from carrying on with the company, I inherit everything."  
  
"Row!" exclaimed Scooby, "Rat's ra rotta roney!"  
  
"What did that dog of yours say? He wants some macaroni?" asks Sarah.  
  
"Oh, like, don't mind Scoob," starts Shaggy stuffing his mouth, "He has, like, a speech complication. He was, like, just contemplating on how much money that is going to be."  
  
"Rinreed!" barks out Scoob.  
  
After breakfast, Sarah gets ready for work. "If you guys need anything you are welcome to the kitchen" she says. "Oh really, Miss Maclbe, we can't impose on you like that!" opposes Velma. "Oh really, your not imposing, and please, call me Sarah. Now feel free to search the house anytime you want. There is a key under the doormat."  
  
"Groovy! Like thanks Miss Mac...er...Sarah!" exclaims Shaggy.  
  
"Reah rank-rou!" barks back Scooby.  
  
With that, both boys turn and head for the kitchen.  
  
Sarah left for work leaving the gang alone in the house.  
  
"Well I just we better use this time to split up and search one last time for any clues." Orders Fred. "Daphne and I will start looking around here."  
  
"Okay, Fred." Agrees Velma, "I'll stick with Shaggy and Scooby."  
  
Fred and Daphne left to look around the basement leaving Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby alone.  
  
"Like with the sun just beginning to shine, this house looks a bit creepy." Whines Shaggy.  
  
"Reah, reepy." Echoes Scooby.  
  
"Come on you guys," starts Velma, "I want to look at the backyard again."  
  
In the backyard Velma and Shaggy look around but find nothing.  
  
"Like this yard is empty!" yells Shaggy.  
  
"Maybe not," replies Velma, "but that flower bed is still bugging me. Scooby sniff around, see if you can find anything." She says turning to Scooby.  
  
"Rokay" barks Scooby and he begins to sniff.  
  
He first goes around the fence, then, around the trees, he begins to bark.  
  
"What did you find Scooby?" asks Velma.  
  
"Rassie!" Scooby calls back.  
  
"Like Scooby," scolds Shaggy, "were here to look for clues not your girl friends!"  
  
"Rorry." apologizes Scooby and he starts sniffing again.  
  
He then goes by the flowerbed under the bedroom window. Suddenly, he pulls up his head with a face of disgust.  
  
"Re-ru!" he yelps.  
  
"Like what is it, boy?" asks Shaggy.  
  
"Romething rinky!" answers Scooby holding his nose and pointing down to the bed.  
  
"Something stinky?!" repeats Shaggy.  
  
"Reah"  
  
Velma is investigating the strange spot.  
  
"And the stench is just right here Scooby?" she finally speaks.  
  
"Ruh-huh." Scooby reassures her.  
  
Velma then takes a sniff of the air. Instantly she feels the urge in her stomach to throw up. She gags and sweat beads began to form on her forehead.  
  
"It smells like a decaying organism." Says she.  
  
She began to disturb the dirt. The stench became stronger.  
  
"Awe, Velma! Like, did you really have to do that?" whines Shaggy.  
  
"I was just curious!" Velma gags back.  
  
"Well, like, if your curiosity is satisfied," Shaggy yells back, "maybe we can get out of here!"  
  
"Reah! Reah!" agrees Scooby.  
  
"Well," starts Velma, "what the heck are you waiting for?"  
  
The three of them quickly leave the scene.  
  
Once they are inside, they run into the bathroom just incase they need to...well...  
  
"I guess we should start looking around." Advises Velma.  
  
"But, like where do we start?" Shaggy asks.  
  
"The attic"  
  
"Gulp! Like sorry I asked"  
  
"Come on Shaggy," Velma urges, "It's not like we're in a haunted house or anything"  
  
"Yeah," says Shaggy as they start to head up the stairs, "but in every attic there is dust, cobwebs, darkness, and old things and when there is a combination like that, there is usually a ghost of some sort."  
  
"I wonder if the others have found anything." Fred says to Daphne.  
  
They had been looking around the basement and first floor but found nothing.  
  
"Well usually they tend to have better luck than we do." Daphne reassures him.  
  
"I guess your right." Fred sighs, "One things for sure, our client loves mystery stories. I mean, well look at the bookshelf in the den, it's full of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Margery Allingham novels. To top it all of, they're all murder stories!"  
  
"So?" demands Daphne, "she loves murder stories and mystery authors. What's the big deal?"  
  
"I don't quite know, but I have seen other stories by these authors that are not murders all the time in Velma's book shop. And that's the biggest mystery bookshop in town"  
  
"It's also the only mystery bookshop in town." Daphne corrects him, "Anyway, what does that prove?"  
  
"I don't know, Daph. I just don't know"  
  
"Like, nothing!" exclaims Shaggy.  
  
He had been looking through a huge trunk for a long time and he was getting fed up. Even Scooby with his keen sense of smell had found nothing.  
  
"Maybe not," Velma encourages him, "look what I found!"  
  
She holds up a box of bullets. It is a new box with nicely packed lead bullets. They too are new and only four or five are missing.  
  
"Made for a small pistol judging by their size." She says as she examines them.  
  
"Like that's funny," contemplates Shaggy, "what is that new box doing up here amongst an old, dusty box?"  
  
Velma starts to dig frantically through the box.  
  
"Like, Vel, what are you looking for?"  
  
Velma perks up her head with a look of discouragement. She thinks for a moment then answers, "Well, I was hoping that I would have found the gun."  
  
"Like why?" Shaggy inquires.  
  
"Reah, rhy?" parrots Scooby.  
  
"Well, usually you will find a gun and bullets stored together." Velma explains. "I mean, there is no reason not to. Sarah didn't say anything about small children hanging around the house."  
  
"Rmmm...rood roint." Agrees Scooby.  
  
Shaggy's stomach begins to grumble.  
  
"Like, can we take up this conversation in some place better, like in a kitchen?" he asks.  
  
The three of them head down to the kitchen where Fred and Daphne were waiting for them.  
  
"Hi, guys." Sighs Fred. "Did you find anything?"  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, we did!" Velma quickly replies.  
  
The five of them then go over what they have found.  
  
"Jeepers!" says Daphne, "what would Sarah be doing with bullets?"  
  
"I don't know, yet" replies Velma.  
  
"Hmm..." hums Fred, "that's a good question. Although, I want to take a look around that flowerbed."  
  
"Like, must we?" whines Shaggy, "Like it's nearly time for lunch!"  
  
Velma looks at her watch. It says ten thirty  
  
"I have my uncle Fritz coming over to visit and I promised Mother that I would help her with lunch." She finally says.  
  
"Fine then," Freddy pouts, "Daphne and I will go."  
  
"Sorry, Freddie." Daphne calls back, "I don't think that I will be able to stand the stench. I'll ask the neighbors questions."  
  
"All right, all right! I can take a hint!" yells Fred, "I'll go alone"  
  
The gang went their separate ways. Scooby and Shaggy run to the nearest pizza shop, Daphne makes her way from house to house asking questions, Velma frantically makes her way back home, and Fred, all alone, walks to the backyard.  
  
As soon as she closed the door, Velma receives a verbal beating from her mom.  
  
"What is the big idea of leaving the house in the middle of the night without leaving a note? Not even calling us?" demands Mrs. Dinkley, "Velma Dace Dinkley, I hope you have a good explanation for your immature actions!"  
  
Velma feels herself pinned to the wall, her temperature goes up, and sweat begins pour down her cheeks.  
  
"I...I...I..." she begins but words do not come out, "The gang, that is, and I have stumbled unto another mystery." She finally stammers out.  
  
"I see," her mother began, "well it was decent of you to come home to help around the house. But you better hurry, your uncle will be here any minute."  
  
Velma quickly runs toward the kitchen wiping the sweat off her face. She puts on an apron and starts peeling potatoes. She feels bad about running off on her parents like that. Ever since that incident on Spooky Island her folks became very conscientious about her safety. As a matter of fact, so did Mr. and Mrs. Blake, Jones, Rogers, and Doo. If the gang thought this was bad enough, after that affair in the Coolsonion, the parents became even stricter about leaving the house during the night.  
  
"Well," she smiles, "at least I can ask Uncle Fritz about that flowerbed!"  
  
Fred walks through the backyard of the house. He first looks around the huge oak tree, the fence, the compost box, then, gathering up his courage, he looks around the flowerbed.  
  
"That's strange," he thinks, "there is nothing here. Is it possible that it was their imagination playing tricks on them? Neh. Scooby and Shaggy yes, but Velma? Never!"  
  
He continues to look around, yet finds nothing. He goes out to join Daphne.  
  
"Well, thank-you for you time ma'am." Smiles Daphne as she leaves the house. It has been the twenty-first house she had visited.  
  
"Hey, Daph!" calls a voice from behind her. It is Freddie. He is running up the street like a rocket. "Have you found anything?" he asks as he finally catches up with her.  
  
"Nope." She sighs, "Most of them don't even know Sarah."  
  
"Really?" he inquires.  
  
"Well, despite the fact that she had moved into the neighborhood a month ago and keeps mainly to herself?" his girl friend asks, "Nothing."  
  
"Interesting."  
  
"Can you make any sense of this whole ordeal, Fred?"  
  
"No, Daph." The blond man replies, "I can't."  
  
Daphne looks at her watch.  
  
"It's noon, Fred." she announces, "Maybe we should discuss this over lunch."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The two make their way to join Shaggy and Scooby at Pete's Pizza Parlor.  
  
"Like, pass the hot sauce will ya, old buddy." Shaggy says as he and Scooby chow down on their 400th pizza.  
  
"Rear rou ro!" Barks the Great Dane passing it to Shaggy. He, himself drowning his slice in it.  
  
Shaggy takes the bottle, smears it allover his pizza; puts a thick layer of Parmesan cheese; three scoops of butterscotch ice cream; and to top it off: a pickle, cherry, and hot peppers. He stares at it for a while. "Like I think it's missing something, Scoob." He finally says, "What do you suppose it is?" "Rolive Roil!" Scoobert barks back holding up a bottle. "Of coarse!" jumps Shaggy, "That's it!" He takes it and pours it over his entire pizza with it until the oil began to drip onto the floor.  
  
Shaggy, proud of his creation, then holds up his pizza to show to Scooby. "Well, Scoob," he exclaims beaming with pride, "is this a pizza or is this a pizza!" Scooby just snickers. Shaggy then proceeds the task of folding his pizza so it is bite size. He then eats it with one gulp. He sits back in his seat. "Like that was a pizza!" he exclaims smacking his lips.  
  
It this time, Fred and Daphne appear on the scene. Daphne looks at the two boys sitting in a booth. She and Freddie join them. Fred notices the mess those two have made. "How many pizzas have you guys eaten?" he finally asks. "Oh, like, four hundred ten...I think." is the reply. Daphne leans over to Fred and whispers to him "If he says I think, it usually means that he has eaten either so fast or too many that he can't remember." Freddie smiles to that remark. He then orders a pepperoni pizza and cokes for both him and Daphne.  
  
Once they get their drinks the four of them begin to talk and joke among themselves unknowing the torture Velma is going through back home.  
  
"And there is the white shark, mouth open and ready to gobble me in." says Harold Dinkley. "Well," asks Uncle Fritz peering wide-eyed through his thin wire frame glasses, "what did you do?" "Well," continues Harold sitting up straight, "I swim my ground, making sure that it clear to him that I didn't want him to come anywhere close to the dolphins." Marilyn Dinkley looks at her husband like he was a supernatural being. Velma, on the other hand, sits slumping in her chair pushing her food around. She had heard the story so many times. Ever since she was a small girl. Even though it actually occurred long before she was born, in fact long before her parents were even married, her father always brought it up as if it had recently happened. And every time it seems to get better and better. "If I don't get out of here," thinks Velma, "I'll go crazy! How am I going to ask Uncle Fritz about the flowerbed?"  
  
Marilyn notices that something is wrong. "Velma, are you feeling okay?" she asks pulling her daughter aside.  
  
"Yeah, Mom." Velma responds.  
  
"You haven't eaten any of your lunch." Her mother points out, "Are you sure your feeling all right?" she asks feeling her daughter's forehead.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure."  
  
Mrs. Dinkley is still unsatisfied. She takes Velma's temperature.  
  
"Go upstairs and lie down for a while." She instructs her child.  
  
Velma has no choice but to do as she is told. She slowly climbs the stairs, walks into her room, plops down on her bed and falls asleep. 


	2. The Encounter

Back at HQ, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby are sitting in the lounge discussing the case. The time is 7:35 pm and dusk is approaching. They had gone back to the house to look for more clues, but all in vain. "If you ask me," states Fred, "I say that this is all a wild goose chase." "Roose?" asks Scoob perking up his head and smacking his chops. "Yeah, Scoob and roasted!" jokes Shaggy. Both of them laugh. Scooby stops, looks at Shaggy with a confused look and says "Ri Ron't Ret Rit." At this, Fred and Daphne laugh. "If only Velma was here," sighs Daphne, "she could probably make some sense of this." "Yeah." Fred sighs back "Hey, like that reminds me." Starts Shaggy, "We haven't seen Velma since this morning." "Reah." Scooby agrees. "Jeepers!" exclaims Daph, "Do you suppose she is alright?"  
  
"Well," Fred says picking up the phone and dialing the Dinkley's phone number, "let's find out."  
  
"Velma," whispers Mrs. Dinkley gently shaking her daughter's shoulder, "Velma, wake up."  
  
Velma just rolls on her back and groans. She rubs her eyes and asks, "What time is it?"  
  
"7:37" her mother answers.  
  
"Oh." Velma says opening her sleepy eyes. "Where are my glasses?"  
  
"On your bedside table, dear." Is the reply, "You went to sleep with them on."  
  
Velma gives a weak smile. She reaches for her glasses and slowly starts to emerge out of bed. "Was that the phone I heard ringing a while ago?" she asks.  
  
"Yes," Marilyn replies, "it was Fred. He and the gang haven't heard from you since this morning and were getting worried. I set their mind as ease for you."  
  
"Thanks." Velma says in a sleepy voice. "You're welcome." Mrs. Dinkley says kissing her daughter on the cheek. "Now get washed, dinner is almost ready and you don't want to look like that for your Uncle Fritz do you?"  
  
Velma smiles. "No," she replies, "I guess I don't."  
  
Her mother leaves. Velma walks over to her dresser, and looks into her mirror. There she sees a tired little girl with her hair looking like a rat's nest, a sleepy look on her face, and crooked glasses.  
  
She begins to fix her hair. "At least I get a second chance to ask him about that bed." She thinks, "Now remember, Velma Dinkley, this time try to start the conversation before Mom insists Dad to tell another one of his stories!"  
  
"It's getting late, guys" indicates Fred, "should we go out and get some Dinner?"  
  
At this Scooby and Shaggy put on their jackets and run to the door. "Like ready to go when you are, Fred."  
  
Freddie and Daphne chuckle to themselves. They too get their jackets and all four of them head out the door."  
  
As the Dinkley family sits down for dinner, Velma keeps thinking to herself "Must start the conversation first. Must start the conversation first. Must start the conversation first."  
  
Finally, she gets her chance.  
  
"Uncle Fritz," she starts.  
  
"Yes, Velma?" her uncle replies with a loving look in his eyes.  
  
"There is a question that I have been meaning to ask you." She starts up again.  
  
"Well then, go on. Ask away!"  
  
Velma takes in a deep breath, thinking of how to put her question. "Is it possible," she begins, "for a flowers growing in the shade to grow better than those not?"  
  
"Well," Fritz begins, "it can depend..."  
  
"On what?"  
  
"Well, on the fertility of the soil." He explains. Velma leans forward nearly putting her elbows in her plate. "Go on." She orders in her 'interesting' voice.  
  
"Well, soil that has more nutrients," he continues, "will produce a better crop than those that don't. Why do you ask?"  
  
"It's like this." Velma answers sitting up. "In this case that the gang and I are recently involved in, there is a flowerbed in the backyard which is shaded by a big oak tree."  
  
"I see." Her uncle says. "Just out of curiosity, how big is this area?"  
  
"Three by four feet, and it reeks!"  
  
"Reeks?"  
  
"Yes, there is a stench of something of which I would rather not say since we are eating."  
  
"And by this stench," Fritz inquires, "how long do you think that this 'thing' has been there?"  
  
"Two to three days." Velma replies stuffing her mouth full of her dinner.  
  
Uncle Fritz scratches his chin. "Hmmm," he says, "that is a fairly large animal. Now a bunch of those things would be more like it, yet that is very unlikely..." he keeps talking about many different species of animals in the area. Velma just stares into space, thinking. "...Now a human being," Franz continues, "well that's another story. You see, because of what we eat, the stench of a corps is very unpleasant. It is like nothing you have ever smelled before, or ever will...."  
  
"Of course," thinks Velma, "the area is big enough to hold a body. And when I disturbed the dirt, there was no sign of animal decay. Then it must have been a..." She jumps up, and runs to the coatroom. Uncle Fritz stops speaking, "Now what the devil has gotten into her?" he asks. "Velma?" her parents call out, "Velma what's going on?"  
  
Velma puts on her jacket, grabs her purse and car key and calls back, "Don't bother to wait up for me!" With that, she closes the front door and runs out. "Well, what in the world?" Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley ask each other.  
  
"Like now that's what I call a meal!" exclaims Shaggy as he Scooby, Freddie, and Daphne exit a fancy restaurant. "Reah!" burps Scooby.  
  
On the ride back to HQ, Fred's cell phone rings. He answers it, "Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Fred." Comes a voice on the other end, "it's Velma."  
  
"Oh hi, Velma!" Freddie smiles on the other end.  
  
"Listen, Fred." Velma began, "I think that I have come across something big about this case. You want to come?"  
  
"Listen, Velma," Freddie whines, "if it has anything to do with that flowerbed, I'm not interested."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"There is nothing there. Besides, it is late and everyone wants to get to bed." Explains Fred. "We can checkup on this wild goose chase of yours tomorrow morning."  
  
"Fine then," yells Velma, "I'll go alone." With that she hangs up the phone. Freddie does the same.  
  
"What did Velma want?" asked Daphne.  
  
"She's going back to the house." Freddie began, "She thinks that she is on a hot tip and wants us to come."  
  
Velma drives all alone to Sarah's house.  
  
She pulls into the driveway. She gets out of her car and heads to the back of the house.  
  
With her flashlight, she finds the flowerbed and investigates it. There is no smell.  
  
"That's odd," she thinks.  
  
She begins to disturb the dirt. There is still no stench. She moves the dirt around some more. Suddenly, there is a clap of thunder, a strike of lightning, and a sudden gust of wind. A bolt of thunder strikes the flowerbed just missing Velma. She falls back.  
  
She stands up and runs to the old oak tree. She is breathing deeply and she can hear her heart pounding in her ears. Then, behold, a sudden burst appears out of the flowerbed and ghostly being appears.  
  
Velma leans on the tree her mouth wide open. She cannot believe what she is seeing. Her entire body begins to shiver. Sweat is pouring down her cheeks and her heart is beating faster by the second.  
  
She looks into the being's face. It is neither dead nor alive; it is a ghastly, pale face with a look of terror. Just like how Sarah described it. She then looks at the clothes. The being is wearing a white blouse, with three bullet holes in the chest area and is soaked in blood and a beige skirt and jacket also heavily covered with blood. Velma is more terrified than ever. Yet, it doesn't keep her from making out some details of this strange being.  
  
It is a woman. Most likely in her late eighties. She is not total spirit or flesh or in any way like a zombie. She is more like a piece of decaying matter with still some form and detail.  
  
Velma then looks at the woman's hands. In some places you can see the bones, in others the muscles and ligaments, and in others the skin. In one hand, there is a small pistol with a piece of cloth around it to muffle the noise.  
  
"I will kill her!" shrieks the woman; "I will kill her for what she did to me!" She holds up the gun and points it at Velma, who, totally terrified by this experience, blacks out. 


	3. To Ascertain Make Certain

Early the next morning, Sarah is driving down the road to her house. She had spent the night in a motel because she figured that the gang would want to spend the night at her house.  
  
As she pulls up to her house, she sees Velma's car in the driveway, but since she has never seen it before, she doesn't recognize it.  
  
Once she pulls into her driveway, she jumps out of her car and looks around to see whose vehicle it is. She runs to the backyard. There, she sees Velma sleeping at the roots of the old oak tree. Her purse is being used as a pillow, and her jacket as a blanket. Beside her head are her glasses put neatly in her case, which she keeps in her purse. At first glance, one will think that she intended to spend the night there.  
  
Sarah runs over and tries to awake Velma.  
  
"Miss Dinkley," she says as she gently shakes Velma's shoulder.  
  
Velma groans and rolls over on her side.  
  
"Not now, mom." She says  
  
"Velma," Sarah tries again. "Velma wake up."  
  
"Mom," Velma groans again. "it's Saturday, remember? It's my day to sleep in!"  
  
It dawns on Sarah at this point that Velma is most likely dreaming about her childhood days.  
  
"Velma," Sarah says sternly. "this is Sarah speaking."  
  
Velma rolls on her back and opens her eyes.  
  
"Sarah?" she asks. "Sarah who?"  
  
"Maclbe!" Sarah emphasizes.  
  
Velma becomes fully awake. She sits up. "Miss Maclbe!" she yells. An intense pain comes to her head. "Ow!" She says as she rubs the back of her head.  
  
"Are you okay?" Sarah asks.  
  
"Yeah." Starts Velma. "Yeah I think so." She tries to look around, but without her glasses she sees only nothing but blurs. "Where am I?" she finally asks.  
  
"At my house." Is the reply. "The back yard, to be precise."  
  
"Oh." Velma says. She tries to look at her surroundings again then asks, "Have you seen my glasses?"  
  
Sarah picks up Velma's case and hands it to her. Velma thanks her and puts on her glasses. She takes another look.  
  
"Have I been here all night?" she asks.  
  
"I was hoping you would tell me." Is the reply.  
  
Velma looks at the flowerbed where the strange person came from. She begins to shake all over.  
  
"Velma," Sarah asks, "are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"No," Velma admits, "I'm not. I saw it, Sarah. I saw it."  
  
"Saw what?" Sarah inquires.  
  
"The 'face'!"  
  
Freddie is driving the Mystery Machine along with Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby to Sarah's house.  
  
Daphne's cell phone begins to ring. She takes it out of her purse and looks at the calling number. It's from Velma's house. She presses the 'answer' button.  
  
"Hello?" she asks.  
  
"Hi, Daphne. This is Marilyn. Is Velma with you?" answers a voice on the other end.  
  
"Oh, good morning, Mrs. Dinkley!" smiles Daphne, "No, Velma isn't with me. To be frank, I haven't seen her all night. Why?"  
  
"Well," starts Mrs. Dinkley, "last night she ran off during dinner and she never came back. And, well, I'm worried."  
  
"Are you sure she didn't sneak in during the night?" Daphne inquires.  
  
"No." says Marilyn, "Her bed hasn't been slept in. And the food I left her last night hasn't been touched."  
  
"Okay," Daphne says, "we'll see if we can find her."  
  
"Oh thank-you, Daphne." Says Mrs. Dinkley with a sigh of relief. "Call me when you find her."  
  
"I will." Comforts Daphne.  
  
She hangs up.  
  
Fred looks at her. She has worried look on her face.  
  
"Is anything wrong?" he asks.  
  
"Velma didn't go home last night." Daphne replies.  
  
"Like, she must still be at Sarah's house," Shaggy says who was eavesdropping on Daphne's phone call. "there's like nothing to fret about, she must have decided to spend the night there."  
  
"Reah! Rothing ro ret rabout!" parrots Scooby.  
  
"But then why didn't she call home?" disagrees Fred.  
  
Scooby and Shaggy look at each other.  
  
"Like, got us there, Fred." Shaggy says.  
  
"Maybe we should just go and see for ourselves." Proposes Daphne.  
  
The rest agree.  
  
Upon their arrival, they see that Velma's car is in the driveway. They immediately run to the back yard.  
  
There, they see Velma and Sarah sitting on the patio drinking coffee.  
  
Sarah is having hers the traditional way with cream and sugar. Velma, however, is having hers black with a few drops of brandy.  
  
"Velma!" Daphne yells as she runs up to her friend. "Velma, what happened to you?"  
  
Velma doesn't answer. Instead she takes a huge sip of her coffee and looks at Daphne with terror in her eyes.  
  
Daphne, noticing Velma's beverage asks, "Velma, what's with the coffee? I know you drink it on the rare occasion with cream and sugar, but brandy?"  
  
Velma doesn't answer. She just stares into mid air. Fred, Shaggy and Scooby look scared with nothing to think of the matter. Scooby walks up to Velma. He waves his paw in front of her face. No reaction, not even a blink.  
  
Daphne then gets an idea. She take's Velma's glasses and pulls a pencil out of her purse.  
  
"Velma," she says, "Velma if you don't snap out of this, I'll break your glasses!"  
  
Velma does nothing.  
  
Daphne then takes the pencil and snaps it in two.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
Completely outraged, Daphne snatches the coffee cup out of Velma's hands and splashes it into her face.  
  
Velma immediately becomes conscious of what is going on around her. She grabs a napkin and starts to wipe the coffee off her face.  
  
"Oh! Velma, I'm...I'm so sorry!" cries Daphne just realizing what she had done.  
  
"It's okay, Daph." Comforts Velma with a weak grin on her face.  
  
"Like, what happened to you?" asks Shaggy  
  
"Yeah," starts Fred, "your mom's worried sick about you."  
  
"Well," Velma starts, "it's like this..." she tells the entire story. Everyone listens patiently.  
  
"Jeepers!" exclaims Daphne. "What happened next?"  
  
"I don't know." Velma answers pouring herself a cup of brandy. "I must have fainted." She quickly swallows her drink.  
  
"Daph," she asks, "do you have my glasses?"  
  
"Oh! Yes I do!" Daphne exclaims. "I forgot that I had them." She hands them to Velma.  
  
'What puzzles me," contemplates Fred. "is how you could have bedded down for the night if you claim that you were out cold."  
  
"Like yeah, that is weird!" Agrees Shaggy.  
  
"I must have done it in my sleep." says Velma.  
  
"That isn't the point!" Sarah yells.  
  
"Well, what is the point?" asks Daphne.  
  
"The point is," Sarah explains. "is that the face is no longer just something I said. Velma's seen it, so it must be real!"  
  
"But," protests Velma, "I'm not sure now what I even saw. It seems like all one bad dream."  
  
"Well, like, it must not have been, Velma." Says Shaggy. "You're shaking."  
  
Velma looks down at her hands. They are pale and shaking like a leaf in the wind.  
  
Freddie is over by the flowerbed. He begins to move around the dirt.  
  
"Are you sure that the 'ghost' came from the flowerbed?" he asks.  
  
"Freddie! Please!" Velma shouts as she jumps into Daphne's arms. "Don't disturb the dirt! She'll come back!"  
  
"Jeepers! Velma!" Daphne says putting Velma down. "You got a real scare last night!"  
  
"Don't put me down!" orders Velma in a shaky voice.  
  
Scooby and Shaggy look at each other. "Like, I think Velma's really lost it, Scoob." Shaggy says. "Usually it's, like, you and me who act like that!"  
  
"Shaggy," Daphne calls. "Could you hold Velma for a moment? I need to talk to Fred for a moment and Velma needs to be held."  
  
"Like why?" inquires Shaggy.  
  
"Reah rhy?" parrots Scooby.  
  
"Because," Daphne starts, "She is in need of a big, strong man in a time like this. She's scared."  
  
"Also tired I see!" laughs Shaggy as he points to Velma on Daphne's shoulder. She had long dozed off.  
  
"Oh, whatever!" Daphne says as she plops Velma down into a chair.  
  
Scooby walks over to Velma lays down by her feet and falls asleep as well.  
  
"Well, Fred, what do you think?" Daphne asks as she approaches Fred.  
  
"You mean about Velma?" he asks.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well," the blond man responds. "I think that this is all a figment of her imagination?"  
  
"And how do you deduce that, Mr. Sherlock Holmes?" humors Daphne.  
  
"For starters," he starts. "she is very tired, as you can see."  
  
"Yes." Daphne urges. "Go on."  
  
"Two." Freddie continues. "She didn't have dinner. When your stomach is empty, you start seeing things that are not even there. So all together, I'd say Velma's letting her imagination get the best of her."  
  
"Do you think that we could ever set her mind straight?" Daphne asks.  
  
"Yes." Freddie replies scratching the back of his head. "And I think I have a plan!"  
  
"You can't make me!" protests Velma as the gang drags her to the flowerbed.  
  
"Like, come-on, Velma." Urges Shaggy. "It's for your own good."  
  
"Not even if my life depended on it!" she snaps back. "Anyway, exactly how can I favor from this torture?"  
  
"Velma," Fred explains, "you have a phobia, and the only way of fixing that phobia is to go back to where you got it and hit it head on!"  
  
"You mean that you are going to stick my head into the flowerbed?" she inquires.  
  
"No, not exactly." Daphne replies.  
  
"Uh-huh." Velma starts. "You're crazy!"  
  
"Sarah," Freddie calls.  
  
Sarah had been sitting there doing nothing, watching the Freddie investigate around the yard. She had never seen a real detective at work first hand before and had found it quite interesting.  
  
"Sarah." Freddie calls again. "Could you please come over here and help us with Velma?"  
  
"Sure!" Sarah eagerly replies instantly standing to her feet.  
  
However, no sooner than Sarah gets a grip on Velma, she breaks loose and begins to climb the oak tree.  
  
"Velma," Freddie pleads. "please come down."  
  
"Only if you promise me that you are not going to take me to that flowerbed against my will!" Velma replies crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Would you do it for a Scooby snack?" cons Daphne.  
  
"Come-on, Daph." Velma says in her 'smarty-pants' voice. "You know that only works on Shaggy and Scooby!"  
  
"Like too bad, Velma." Shaggy calls up. "Like, now would be the perfect time to do, like, a scientific experiment!"  
  
Velma's face lights up. "Experiment?" she asks.  
  
"Like yeah!" Shaggy continues. "Like it's the perfect time to, like, see if the Scooby Snacks, like, really work for, like, Scooby and me."  
  
"Jinkies, Shaggy!" Velma laughs. "That sure is a lot of 'likes' in one sentence! But you know me, I can't turn down an experiment. So, like, I'm coming down!"  
  
Velma climbs down and grabs the box of Scooby Snacks that Daphne handed her. She gets a hand full and shoves them into her mouth.  
  
"Whoa, Velma!" Freddie yells. "we didn't say a handful of Scooby Snacks!"  
  
"I know," Velma manages to say between swallows. "but this is also my breakfast!"  
  
With her stomach full of Scooby Snacks, Velma makes her way to the flowerbed. Good thing for her, everyone else is two or three yards behind.  
  
"Oh, I feel so comforted!" she calls glancing over her shoulder.  
  
"Relax, Velma." Daphne calls back. "look as me, I'm as cool as a cucumber!"  
  
"Figures!" Velma calls back. "You're farther away from it than I am!"  
  
She got down on her knees and started digging in the bed. One by one the rest of the gang came to see if she was finding anything.  
  
"Like, Velma" Shaggy says. "you can move the dirt a little more."  
  
"No way!" she replies. "The last time I did that, that 'woman' appeared!"  
  
"Velma, listen to me." Freddie says looking Velma squarely in the eye. "What you saw last night was a figment of you imagination, a mirage, your mind playing tricks on you!"  
  
"Oh, I see." Velma says looking down at the ground. "I suppose that this gun is a figment of my imagination as well!" She holds up a gun covered in dirt.  
  
"You hit the nail right on the hammer, Velmster!" Freddie smiles. "That gun is...a gun!" He falls back nearly landing on Daphne.  
  
"Now Fredrick," Velma smiles back at him. "don't tell me that my imagination is catchy!"  
  
"No Velma," Daphne answers in a shaky voice. "that is a real gun in your hand!"  
  
Velma continues digging. She stops for a moment. "Freddie, Daphne," she says in a shaky voice. "is that a face a see in there?" "Yes, Velma that is a face!" Freddie yells. Daphne and Sarah jump into his arms. Scooby and Shaggy run off into a safe distance.  
  
Sure enough, it is a partly decomposes face mostly bone staring straight up at them. Velma and Sarah recognize it. "It's the 'face'!" They both scream. Velma looks down at the gun in her hand. "This is the same gun from last night!" she states. She drops it and runs straight to Shaggy and Scooby. "Hold me, Shaggy!" she says jumping into the skinny man's arms. "Hold me and never let go!" 


	4. The Police Get Involved

"Everybody remain calm!" Freddie orders trying to hide the fact that he is just as scared as anybody else.  
  
"Freddy," Daphne says. "how on earth can we be calm when there is a dead body in there looking up at us?"  
  
"Daphne, it's not 'staring' up at us." Sarah says. "technically, the spirit departed what appears to be days ago."  
  
"Oh, you know what I mean!" Daphne snaps back.  
  
"Like, Velma," Shaggy mopes. "why didn't you jump onto Freddie's arms?"  
  
"Because, Shaggy," Velma replies. "Fred is farther away."  
  
"But, like, when you over there, Freddie was closer."  
  
"Yes, but he is closer to the flowerbed."  
  
"Ro rother!" Scooby cries.  
  
Freddie walks over to them with both girls in his arms and sets them down. "Velma, let's call the police." "I'm with you, Freddie." Velma says as she gets down from Shaggy's arms. She pulls out her cell phone and dials. A young man on the station picks it up. "Police station." He says.  
  
"Hi, Charlie!" Velma greets him on the other end. The gang had gotten used to calling every officer by his first name since their very first mystery. It has gotten to the point, now that they know everybody on the force.  
  
"Good morning, Velma!" smiles Sergeant Charlie.  
  
"Charlie, is Sheriff Sam in yet?"  
  
"No Velma, Sam's at the hospital." Replies the sergeant. "His wife, Sarah, had her baby last night—a little girl. Perhaps, though, may I help you?" "Yes, Charlie." Velma starts. "Charlie, we have discovered a body."  
  
Police cars are parked outside and police roaming around questioning everybody, well Sarah that is.  
  
"Do you have any idea who this person may be?" a policeman inquires.  
  
'No." is the answer.  
  
"Do you know anyone who could have done this?"  
  
"Oh for crying out loud, officer!" Sarah yells, "How do we even know if it's not just a bunch of stupid kids playing a nasty joke?!"  
  
Some other officers are talking to the gang. Velma is with a scientist analyzing who the person may be. Some other parts have been found along with the clothes exactly as Velma had described them. "It appears as though the murder hacked the body in order to hide it." states Daphne.  
  
"Who is it, Joey?" Velma asks leaning over the young man's shoulders.  
  
"Not yet, Velma." The man answered sitting up and fixing his glasses. "the results are just coming in. Ah, here they are."  
  
He pulls out a piece of paper from a printer and looks it over. "No." he says under his breath. "It can't be!" "Who?" Velma asks. Sergeant Joe hands the paper to her. She looks at it. "Poor Sarah." Velma finally says setting the paper down. "This is going to crush her."  
  
A few minutes later, the gang, several police officers and Sarah are in her living room. Sarah is sitting on the couch with Velma, Fred and Daphne are on the love seat across form them, and Shaggy and Scooby are at one end of the room closest to the kitchen heartily devouring food.  
  
"Miss Maclbe," begins he head officer. "I am disgraced to be the barer of sad news."  
  
"Go on." Sarah urges.  
  
"Miss Maclbe," the officer begins again taking in a deep breath. "I am sorry to announce that your employer, Miss Catharine Smith, is dead."  
  
"Dead?" asks Sarah.  
  
"She was who we found in the flowerbed." Velma explains.  
  
"No!" Sarah cries burying her face in her hands. She gets up to run to Fred who, being the gentleman that he is, comforts her as she cries on his shoulder. Velma and Daphne do their best to try to comfort her. Scooby walks up to Sarah and sets his head on her lap with the look of sympathy in his eyes. Shaggy runs to the kitchen to get something for her to eat. It doesn't help, but as Sarah puts it, "It's the thought that counts".  
  
Shortly after the police leave. Sarah is just moping around the place and Fred thinks it is best that she is left alone for a while. "We can come back tonight and get a better insight on this matter." he says.  
  
Freddie, Scooby and Shaggy leave in the Mystery Machine. Daphne drives Velma home who, forgetting how tired she is, falls asleep.  
  
Pulling into the Dinkley driveway, Daphne is greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley along with Uncle Fritz. Harold and Fritz carry Velma inside as Marilyn talks with Daphne about the recent events.  
  
"Imagine that!" exclaims Mrs. Dinkley. "A murder in our own town!"  
  
"Yes," Complements Daphne. "and Velma had the ghost first."  
  
"Poor dear," Marilyn sighs. "and without a good dinner either!"  
  
the Mystery Machine pulls up and Daphne departs to join them.  
  
Mrs. Dinkley goes in to find her daughter sleeping on the couch. "Velma." She calls. Velma rolls over and opens her eyes. "Morning, mom." She says in a sleepy voice. "Shouldn't that be good afternoon, mom?" Marilyn asks.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"Noon."  
  
"Oh." Velma groans.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Mrs. Dinkley asks.  
  
"Uh-huh." Is the reply.  
  
"Come on then," says Mrs. Dinkley. "Fritz is making hamburgers."  
  
The two of them walk to the kitchen.  
  
"So where do you want to go for lunch, Freddie?" Daphne asks.  
  
"Like, I don't care where you guys go." Shaggy says. "but can you, like, drop Scooby and me over at my house? I told my folks that I would, like, be home for lunch."  
  
"Okay, Shag." Agrees Fred. It is not often that he gets Daphne all to himself especially at a mealtime. He starts planning. "Where would be a good place, not to fancy and yet not to plain?" he thinks. "A restaurant, fast food joint, bar? Nah, scratch that! Fast food places are too busy at this time of day. All right then," he agrees with himself. "restaurant it is!" His mind them begins to wonder. "Which one? Surely not POP'S, the food is way too greasy. Pizza Hut is nice, but, we had pizza last night for dinner. There is that Fine Home Cooking place at the east end of town. Yes, perfect! It has some of the best food in this part of the county! The price is right. "  
  
He pulls up to the Roger's home. Scooby and Shaggy climb out. "Like, we'll see ya later!" Shaggy says with a smile. Both he and Scooby head inside as Freddie drives away.  
  
"And there I am, surrounded all around by hungry barracudas." Tells Mr. Dinkley. "Each one with thirst for blood in their eyes. The only protection: an aluminum cage with no top and big gaps in between the bars which each one could easily swim through."  
  
"Good glory!" exclaims Fritz. "It is a miracle that you survived! Please, do continue."  
  
As Harold rambles on, Velma is slouching in her chair trying her best to keep awake. It is apparent that she is not enjoying her meal.  
  
"Why does dad always have to tell about his many adventures when people are over?" she moans.  
  
After what appears to be years to Velma, the story finally ends.  
  
While washing the dishes Velma says to her mother, "Mom, I think I'll spend the afternoon in the bookstore. Is that okay with you?"  
  
"Of coarse it is, dear." Is the reply.  
  
"I second the motion." A voice comes from behind them. They turn around to see Fritz, who by chance had overheard, standing in the doorway. "I would rather like to go as well. If that's okay with you, sis." He says looking over his glasses at Mrs. Dinkley.  
  
"If it pleases you, Fritz." She replies. Then with a chuckle she says, "Please, don't feel like you are a prisoner in this house!" Fritz and Velma stare at each other and then burst out into laughter. Mrs. Dinkley follows suit.  
  
Shortly after Velma at Fritz climb into the car with Velma in the driver's seat. As they round the corner, Fritz lets out a sigh of relief. "Anything the matter?" Velma asks. "No." Her uncle replies. "I'm just happy to get out of the house and away form your father's stories for once." Velma smiles. "Yet," she contradicts, "you seem always so eager to hear more." "That is because they change every time. Now that is what makes them interesting!" Fritz says with a grin. "But enough about your father and his stories, let's talk about you. Ever since I arrived I have been indulged in Harold's stories and we have not been given the chance to sit down together and talk." Velma chuckles. "About what?" she asks. Fritz puts his arm around his niece. "How about you?" he says.  
  
"What about me?" she inquires.  
  
"Well," her uncle begins. "you've grown."  
  
Upon hearing this, Velma throws her head back and laughs. After calming herself down she says, "Only half an inch since last time!"  
  
"No, not that way." Fritz says. "What I mean is, gosh! You're not a little girl anymore!"  
  
"Indeed?"  
  
"Indeed, you have grown into a wonderful young woman. You're looking more like Marilyn each time." Fritz explains. "I would have liked to have a daughter. I would wish she'd be just like you. Yet, I've been blessed with two sons who make it their habit to make fools out of themselves."  
  
Velma smiles. She remembers well Hank and Peter when she was a child. She would play with them a lot. Since both boys are several years older than she, always looked up to them as her own older brothers. Of coarse with the exception of the time when they become little mischief makers.  
  
Fritz looks at Velma. "Kate would have been proud of you. May she rest in peace."  
  
Fritz's wife, Kate, had died in a car accident several years earlier. For the longest time, it seemed as if Velma would never get over it. Kate was her favorite aunt and she was her favorite niece. No one, although, took the passing harder the Fritz.  
  
"Are you ever going to marry again?" Velma asks.  
  
"Maybe not." Is the reply. "No one will be able to replace Kate."  
  
There is silence for the rest of the ride.  
  
The Roger family is sitting down to a quite usual family meal. As always, Shaggy and Scooby are sitting at one end of the table gobbling food down as fast and as much as possible. It has always been a habit for them to have these kinds of contests at the dinner table. At the other end, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers are eating. Their table manners, however, are better than that of Shaggy and Scooby.  
  
After a while Mrs. Rogers says, "Shaggy, your sister called this morning." "Oh?" responds Shaggy. "Like, what did dear little Sugey say?"  
  
"She is coming over for a visit." His mother replies.  
  
"When is she coming?"  
  
"This afternoon."  
  
"Just her?"  
  
"No, John and little Norville are coming as well." Is the reply.  
  
Shaggy chuckles, "Ah little Norville."  
  
Yes, little Norville. Named after his uncle, the little fellow is much like him in every way with only one exception—he prefers to be addressed by the name 'Norville'. He only allows his family and closest friends to use 'Shaggy' when addressing. To him it is like a sacred name. Norville looks up to his uncle like a younger brother would. If anyone were to ask him what he would want to be when he grows up he would say, "Like, a member of Mystery Inc. just like Uncle Shaggy." It is evident that Shaggy is his role model.  
  
"Shaggy," Mr. Rogers says. "have you thought about what you are going to do with little Norville?"  
  
"Like, no." is the reply.  
  
"Why not take him to with you tonight?" suggests his mother.  
  
Shaggy drops his fork and knife. "Like, the...the...the...Sarah's house?" he asks  
  
"rar...rar...rarah's rouse?" parrots Scooby.  
  
"Why not?" inquire his parents together.  
  
"Reah, Raggy, rhy?" Scooby parrots again.  
  
"Well, like...like...like...like it's too, like, scary." Shaggy explains.  
  
"Reah!" barks Scooby. "Roo rary!"  
  
"Like, Scooby you can't agree with everybody!" scolds Shaggy.  
  
"Rou rnow rhat, Raggy? Rou're right roo!"  
  
"Scooby!" snaps Shaggy.  
  
"Rorry." Scooby says with a smile.  
  
"Anyway, Shaggy," Marjorie says. "you have not answered our question."  
  
"Like right," begins Shaggy. "last night Velma went there to, like, look around and saw something that, like, made her faint. We, like, went there earlier this morning and we, like, found a body."  
  
"And you find that scary?" asks his mother.  
  
"Like, it maybe." Shaggy explains. "Like, we are going back tonight and, like, the ghost may come back."  
  
"So?" inquires his father.  
  
"If, like that 'ghost' made Velma faint, like, imagine if it returns. Like it will most likely, like, scare the living day lights out of, like, Scooby, me, and maybe little Norville!" yells Shaggy.  
  
"Big deal!" contradicts Mr. Rogers. "Norville will do what ever you do and tell him to."  
  
"Just remember, Shaggy:" his mother says. "not everybody has an uncle on Mystery Inc."  
  
"Yeah, like I guess so." Sighs Shaggy.  
  
Upon arriving at the bookstore, Velma and Fritz are met by Sheriff Sam Copland, his wife and their newborn baby girl.  
  
"Good afternoon, Sam!" greets Velma with a smile on her face.  
  
"Afternoon, Ms. Dinkley!" responds Sam tipping his hat. "I suppose you heard the good news."  
  
"Yes," replies Velma. "congratulations!"  
  
"Thank-you." Responds the happy couple.  
  
"So, who is this with you?" Sam asks pointing to Fritz.  
  
Velma quickly introduces her uncle to Mr. and Mrs. Copland. Sam then introduces Velma and Fritz to their daughter, Michelle Jane.  
  
The five of them go inside to be greeted by Tina, Velma's clerk. Fritz wonders around the store for a while with Mrs. Copland while Velma is pulled aside by Sam for a little talk about the case.  
  
"What do you think about it, Sam?" Velma asks.  
  
"I don't rightfully know." The sheriff replies. "The gun has been studied for fingerprints. None save yours."  
  
"Any ideas on who did this?"  
  
"No, there is the chance that it was suicide."  
  
"Suicide!" Velma exclaims.  
  
"Yes," Sam explains. "the company is failing. She had one hundred billion dollars in life insurance."  
  
Velma lets out a low whistle. "But, Sam," she contradicts. "I saw the ghost myself."  
  
"So I've heard." Says Sam.  
  
"But she said that she would get whoever did this to her." She blabbers out.  
  
"Velma," Sam says sternly, "are you sure of what you saw last night?"  
  
"Yes!" is the reply.  
  
Sam lets out a sigh. "Listen, Velma," he says, "there is an inquest to be held tomorrow at the courthouse. Please attend it may put your mind at ease."  
  
"I don't think so, Sam," Velma sighs, "I don't think so." 


	5. Little Norville

Freddie and Daphne are driving back to town to pick up the rest of the gang. They had had a wonderful lunch of baked fish, southern fried chicken, fries and coke. Afterwards, they went down to the old malt shop for a sundae. Then they went for a little walk by the beach. For both of them, it was a delightful little lunch-date.  
  
Over at Shaggy's house, a black two-door Saturn pulls up into the driveway. On each side, two people, a man and a woman, climb out. The man walks to the rear of the car, opens the trunk and brings out some baggage. The woman moves her seat forward and lets out a skinny little boy.  
  
He is big for his age. He has sandy-brown hair, which he wears in a shag style. He is wearing a gray spring jacket over a light green t-shirt, which, is untucked. His pants are simple light blue jeans and hang over his white shin-high socks and his blue and white Nike's. On his back he carries a tan knapsack in which he has a snack consisting of: two-dozen apples and other various fruits; thirty bags of chips; ten hotdogs; some chocolate sauce; fifteen hamburgers; twenty slices of pizza; a dozen boxes of Scooby Snacks; and quite a few bottles of water to wash it all down.  
  
The lad takes a good look around the place. He had not been here for a few months, but not much has seemed to change. "Like it always has been." He thinks to himself.  
  
After being satisfied with himself, he brings his fingers to his lips and whistles. Immediately, Scooby breaks through the front door at full speed and runs as fast as he can to the child.  
  
"Scooby! Like wait! Hold it, Scooby!" the boy yells putting his hands in front and giving the Great Dane the stop signal. It doesn't work, for Scooby cannot stop he slides into the boy knocking him down. Scooby then proceeds to lick the boy's face.  
  
"Relcome, Rorville!" Scooby barks happily waging his tail and looking into the boy's shining brown eyes.  
  
"Like thanks, Scoob!" Norville responds with a smile on his face. "Like, get off me you silly pooch!"  
  
"Rorry." Scooby says helping Norville get up. In return, he receives a few Scooby Snacks.  
  
"Like, Shaggy you're finally here!" Shaggy says walking towards his nephew with open arms.  
  
"Uncle Shaggy!" the boy well yells delight. He runs to his uncle and gives him a big bear hug.  
  
"Like wow, you're strong!" Shaggy says putting little Norville down.  
  
By this time, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have come out of the house to greet their visitors.  
  
"Hi, mom!" Sugey says putting both arms around her mom and hugging her.  
  
"Hello, dear." Her mom responds also hugging her daughter.  
  
Mr. Rogers walks up to John, both exchange a firm handshake and some how-do- you-do's. The both of them then head in with the baggage.  
  
"Now let me look at you." Marjorie says pulling her grandson aside. "Why you have grown. You're becoming quite a handsome young man."  
  
Norville just smiles. His grandmother had often joked with him on such things. Being at the age of seven, he didn't have to worry if he was a handsome child or not. He's way too young for dating. It is most likely that the thought of going out with girls has not entered the mind of the boy.  
  
"Like, come-on, Norville." Shaggy says putting his little nephew on his shoulders, "Let's go into the kitchen for a little snack. Shall we?"  
  
"Ri'm rith rou!" Scooby barks happily.  
  
"Are you sure, Shaggy?" John Jackson says his son. "You already had your lunch. Must you really eat all the time?"  
  
The two Shaggys look at each other, then at John. "Which 'Shaggy'?" they both ask at once.  
  
Everyone bursts out into laughter.  
  
"Oh," John agrees, "go ahead!"  
  
Shaggy, happily skips off to the kitchen with Scooby at his heals and little Norville on his shoulders.  
  
After they had gone into the house, Mr. Rogers walks up to John, puts his hand on his shoulder and says, "It appears that you are taking father lessons from me!"  
  
"What do you mean?" John asks.  
  
"I was the same way when Shaggy was a child!" Mr. Rogers says with a chuckle.  
  
Over at the bookstore, Mrs. Copland is talking to Tina about different things in the news—her favorite subject. Fritz and Sam are wondering around the store with nothing better to do. Velma is in the back room doing paperwork such as bills, inventory, and incoming shipments.  
  
Several other customers have entered the store. One is a policeman who came just to give Sam an update on the case—nothing. Some other people are 'Velma fans'. These people are always conscious on how they look, like Velma or not. They make it their business to wear horn-frame glasses, orange tops, and red skirts or pants. Being the ultimate 'Velma fan', means that one must do a lot more than this. For example, one must have: a lab in his or her basement; talk instinctually; spend some time working for NASA; and keep very high grades in school.  
  
The moment they walk in, they ask Tina where Velma is.  
  
"In the back room." Is the reply.  
  
The group makes its way to the back.  
  
Upon seeing them, Fritz asks Sam, "Did Velma do some cloning while I was away?"  
  
"No." Sam replies, "Those are just her fans!" He then explains it all to Fritz on how it all came to be.  
  
Meanwhile, over in the back room Velma is having a one-person conversation with her fans.  
  
"...and when you explain the mystery, it makes me want to cry." One of the girls says.  
  
Velma just smiles. She had gotten used to being told on how she had been an influence on someone. However, this time, it would be a bore. For she already has many things on her mind. She had been thinking about the mystery, waiting for a shipment of books to come in, trying to sort out the paper work in front of her, and to top it all off, she is tired—not the best situation for doing such things.  
  
Velma, like any polite person would, listens patiently and smiles once in a while. Then, the girl speaking makes a sudden move startling Velma. She falls off her chair, landing of the floor scattering papers everywhere and loosing her glasses.  
  
"Ms. Dinkley!" the girl cries helping Velma look for her glasses. "I am so sorry. Oh, please forgive me. I didn't know what I was doing. Please let me help you clean up."  
  
Velma tries to look at the girl but sees only a brown and orange blur. She smiles. "There is no need to apologize." She comforts the young girl, "I needed something to wake me up anyway."  
  
The girl smiles, happy to know that there are no hard feelings.  
  
"But what you can do," Velma continues with a grin, "is help me find my glasses!"  
  
"Sure thing!" the girl responds laughing.  
  
Everyone else begin to tidy up the mess of papers. After fumbling around for a while, Velma finally finds her glasses under a sheet of paper. Putting her glasses on, she studies the paper. It is a list of orders from customers. She stares into mid air a while.  
  
"Ms. Dinkley," one of the girls asks, "are you okay?"  
  
Velma is suddenly snapped out of her daydream and responds, "No, nothing." She suddenly folds the paper up and places it into her pocket.  
  
Soon after, the fans leave and Freddie and Daphne pull up in the Mystery Machine.  
  
As Velma leaves to join them, Uncle Fritz asks, "Velma, how am I to get home?" Velma tosses him the keys to her car. Fritz smiles as Velma leaves.  
  
After eating a 'little' snack, Shaggy took little Norville up to his room. As Norville unpacks his suitcase, Shaggy comes in with a huge box.  
  
"Like, what's that you got there, Uncle Shag?" Norville asks.  
  
Shaggy puts the box down on the bed and opens it.  
  
"Like," he replies, "these are a few things that I was meaning to, like, send you for your birthday, but, like, since you are here, I might as well, like, give it to you now."  
  
"Oh wow!" Norville exclaims as he sorts through the box.  
  
In it is a t-shirt; baseball cap; hoodie; sweatshirt; and TIMEX watch all with the logo of Mystery Inc. Underneath all of the clothes, there are video games each based on some of the adventures of the gang.  
  
"Like, Uncle Shaggy most of these games won't be on the market for, like, another six months!" Norville exclaims with a smile on his face.  
  
"Like, I know." Shaggy explains, "I'm, like, in charge of the developing of the games."  
  
"Like, thanks Uncle Shag!" he thanks his uncle as he hugs him.  
  
After showing his new clothes and games to his parents, Norville puts his clothes into his drawers and starts playing the games with Shaggy while Scooby sits at their feet watching the screen.  
  
After a while, Shaggy says, "Like Norville,"  
  
"Like yeah Unc?" Little Norville responds.  
  
"Well, like," Shaggy starts, "the gang and I are, like, solving, like, a mystery at, like, a spooky house."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Like, yeah." Shaggy begins, "We are, like, going back there tonight. So, would you like to, like, come with us?"  
  
"Like, are you kidding?" Norville exclaims, "I would love to!"  
  
Right then, the Mystery Machine pulls up in front of the house. Norville puts on his new hat, runs down stairs with Scooby. He says good-bye to his parents and grand parents. He then puts on his shoes, jacket, and knapsack. He then leaves with Shaggy and Scooby to join Fred, Daphne, and Velma in the Mystery Machine.  
  
Upon entering, he meets Velma in the back of the van working on her computer.  
  
"Norville!" she says with a smile, "When did you come? Shaggy didn't say that you would be coming over for a visit."  
  
"Like, that's just it," Shaggy says climbing into the Mystery Machine with Scooby, "I just learned that he was coming over."  
  
"Well, I'm glad he came over." Freddie says looking into the back, "It's good to see the little fellow again."  
  
One can say that Fred spoke for the rest of the gang. For they only get to see little Norville on the odd occasion—which, is not very often. Each time, the little boy looks more and more like his uncle.  
  
As Freddie drives away, Velma takes a good look at little Norville.  
  
"Jinkies!" she says after a while, "You have grown since the last time I saw you!"  
  
"Like, I'm growing all the time!" boasts little Norville.  
  
Velma smiles at this remark and pulls Norville's hat over his eyes. Norville laughs and fixes his hat.  
  
Upon arriving at Sarah's house, the gang met Ms. Maclbe leaving. She says that she is going to spend the night in a hotel.  
  
"But, like, why?" asks Shaggy.  
  
"It's because if this haunting!" Sarah explains, "They are scaring me out of my wits!"  
  
"That's okay," Velma says patting Sarah on the back, "you go ahead and have a good night's sleep."  
  
After Sarah leaves, the gang head to the backyard. It is now very dark outside. As they walk to the flowerbed, Velma begins to chicken out again. Noticing this, Shaggy asks holding up a box, "Would you like to, like, try another Scooby Snack, Velma?" Velma smiles. "No thanks, Shaggy." She says. "I think I'll pull through." "Like, she may not want them," little Norville speaks up snatching the box out of his uncle's hand, "but, like, I'll have them!" He then takes a hand full of Scooby snacks, stuffs them into his mouth and then gives a few to Scooby.  
  
Upon reaching the flowerbed, Fred begins to move around the dirt. Velma becomes a bit tense for a moment. Suddenly there is a gust of wind nearly blowing the gang off their feet.  
  
Velma quickly grabs Scooby. "She's coming again, Scooby." She whimpers, "She's coming."  
  
There is then a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning.  
  
"Golly!" Fred exclaims, "Did you see that?!"  
  
"And there's not a cloud in the sky!" indicates Daphne.  
  
There is another flash of lightning this time comes a woman this time in the form of a spirit with one hand in her jacket pocket.  
  
"It's her!" Velma screams, "It's her!"  
  
The woman then screeches, "I'll kill her!"  
  
"Kill who?" Daphne asks clutching Freddie tightly.  
  
"I don't know." Her boy friend responds.  
  
The woman screams again. Little Norville jumps into his uncle's arms in terror.  
  
Seeing the gang in the state of horror, the woman throws her head back and laughs. She then takes her hand out of her pocket, which, contains a gun.  
  
"And that's the same gun as last time!" Velma yells.  
  
The spirit then begins to fire the gun aimlessly in every direction.  
  
Trying to dodge the deadly flying pieces of lead as best he can yells, "Quick, everybody inside!"  
  
Everyone scream as they run inside. 


	6. At Smith Household Products

(Sorry this took so long, but exams are coming up and teachers are driving me crazy. I also appolagize for any confusion that occured in the event of my pen name change.)

Once inside, everyone collapses on the furniture in the living room from exhaustion.  
  
Puffing, Fred says, "Okay, that was freaky."  
  
"Like, just 'freaky'?" contradicts Shaggy hugging his little nephew and Scooby who are shivering in their socks, "Like, That was, like, more than 'freaky'! That was, like, tremendously 'freaky'!!"  
  
"Well, like, one things for sure," Norville says looking outside, "what ever it, like, was, it's, like, gone now."  
  
"Well, that a relief." Freddie sighs.  
  
In desperate need of a drink, Daphne and Velma search the kitchen for something to drink.  
  
"There's nothing." Daphne pouts shutting the refrigerator door.  
  
Velma sits down at the table facing the guys. With her head in her hands, she looks at little Norville taking a bottle of water from his knapsack.  
  
"Norville," she asks.  
  
"Like, yeah?" Norville replies opening the bottle.  
  
"may I please have some of your water?" Velma continues.  
  
"Like sorry, Velma, but, like, this is my last bottle. I, like, drank all the others." Norville applogizes.  
  
"Well then," Freddie says, "let's split it. We are all in need of a good drink."  
  
"Like, okay then." Norville agrees as he closes up the bottle, happy to share his water.  
  
Daphne is looking for glasses. She finds them. After taking a good look at them she exclaims, "Ewe! These glasses are dirty!"  
  
Velma, who is with her in the kitchen, looks at them. After one glance she concludes, "Those are water marks, Daph. They're really nothing."  
  
"They are gross!"  
  
"All right then," Velma says handing Daphne a dishtowel, "you wash them." She then walks off to join the others in the den.  
  
"Velma," Freddie says.  
  
"Yes Fred?" Velma answers.  
  
"Velma," Freddie begins again, "I'm sorry that I thought that you had lost your mind and was seeing things that aren't really there. After seeing that outside, I now believe your 'silly' tale."  
  
Velma throws her head back and laughs. Freddie looks at her not know what to think or say.  
  
After calming down, Velma says, "Well frankly, Fred, until just now, I felt just about the same way about myself as you did me!"  
  
Freddie chuckles.  
  
Just then there is a blood-curling scream from the kitchen. Everyone runs there to find Daphne screaming hysterically by the sink. Once seeing Fred, she runs to him and holds him tightly. Once seeing what Daphne was screaming about, Shaggy turns his nephew's head the other way, so that he could not see what lies before them.  
  
Velma walks toward the sink and looks at running water. It is bright red and very thick. Velma then takes a quick analysis in it. She returns to the gang, who had settled in the den to calm Daphne down with her results. "It's blood." She states. "Blood?" Shaggy says in a shaky voice. "Rood?" Scooby parrots. There is then a little groan in the room. Everyone looks at Norville who has the expression on his face like he wants to throw-up.  
  
Shaggy quickly takes his nephew to the nearest bathroom. A few seconds later they run out.  
  
"Like, it's not just the kitchen sink." Shaggy says gasping for air, "Like, it's in the bathroom too!"  
  
"It can't be in all of the taps." Freddie tries to reason, "Shaggy, you and Norville stay here. Velma, you and Daphne look upstairs and try all the faucets. Scooby and I will look down here. We'll meet back here."  
  
"Like, Fred." Shaggy asks, "What do I do if Norville needs to barf?"  
  
Fred hands Shaggy a paper bag. "Have him do it in this, then." He instructs.  
  
The teams go their separate ways.  
  
Upon returning, they find that both Norville and Shaggy had fallen asleep. The four then go into a separate room to discuss their findings.  
  
"It's flowing out of every single tap." Daphne states.  
  
"What puzzles me," Velma says, "is how blood could have gotten into the water."  
  
"She put it there." Daphne screams.  
  
"She?" Velma and Fred ask at once.  
  
"Yes," Daphne begins, "she was murdered and has come back to seek revenge."  
  
"The late Miss. Smith?" Freddie inquires.  
  
"Yes!" Daphne yells back.  
  
"Are you suggesting that that blood was Miss Smith's?" Velma asks  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Try to tell that to Sam." Velma says under her breath.  
  
"What to do mean?" Fred asks.  
  
"I was talking with Sam in the bookstore earlier today," explains Velma, "and he and the force have come to a conclusion that Miss. Smith met with foul play."  
  
"You don't mean suicide, do you, Velma?" Daphne asks.  
  
"You must be joking!" Freddie exclaims, "It is obvious that that is not the case."  
  
By the way Velma looks at them, they can tell that she was not.  
  
"There will be an inquest tomorrow." Velma offers, "You can go there and find out for yourself."  
  
"That seems like a good idea." Freddie agrees, "Maybe we can pickup some new clues."  
  
After waking Shaggy, they pickup sleeping Norville and went into the Mystery Machine to go home. Since, it is obvious that they cannot spend the night there.  
  
Little Norville wakes up the next morning to find himself lying in a sleeping bag on the floor in the Mystery Machine. He looks around. In the front, Fred and Daphne are sleeping on each of the front seats. In the back on one side of the van, Shaggy and Scooby are sleeping one on top of the other. On the other side, Velma is sleeping with a book covering her face. Norville smiles. He had often seen her reading before going to bed, but never falling asleep while reading. "She must have been very tired." He thinks to himself. Being fully awake and very bored, Norville gets up and walks over to where Velma is sleeping. He picks up the book, which is over her face and looks at it.  
  
It is an Agatha Christi novel. 'What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw' is written on the top of the cover in gold lettering. Below it in smaller letters are the words 'A Miss Marple Murder Story'. He then looks at the back cover to see what the story is. It reads, "Ms. McGillicuddy witnesses a murder of a woman on a train. Having no one to believe her account, she then turns to her old friend, Miss Marple. Who, through cunning interception, catches the murder before he can strike again." Having nothing better to do, the little fellow opens the book to the first page. "Interesting..." he thinks looking over the page, "Like, Miss McGillicuddy is, like, reading a murder story, falls asleep, and, like, wakes up during the middle of the night and, like, sees in an opposite train a woman being murdered." He summarizes. "Cool!" he says with a smile.  
  
He hears a moan and sees Velma begin to stir. Norville immediately seizes this opportunity to have somebody to talk to.  
  
"Like, Velma." He says shaking her shoulder gently.  
  
"Not now, Shaggy," she moans, "I'm not hungry for one of your triple sundae sandwiches."  
  
Norville smiles at this remark. "Like, Velma," he says, "it's Norville."  
  
"Norville, Shaggy what's the difference?" she asks  
  
Norville begins to giggle. He had caught Velma at a time in which she is neither asleep nor awake. He tries again. This time it works.  
  
"Norville?" she asks opening her eyes, "What are you doing up so early?"  
  
"Like, I got bored." The little tyke replies.  
  
Velma grins then, feeling around the floor says, "Have you seen my glasses by chance?"  
  
Norville takes a look around. He then holds up a little orange case to Velma and says, "Like, are these it, Velma?"  
  
Velma holds out her hand and Norville hands her the case. She then feels the case and opens it. With a smile, she says, "Yes, Norville. These are my glasses. Thanks."  
  
Norville expresses "your welcome" by a little smile and a sparkle in his eyes.  
  
Velma smiles too and ruffles his shaggy hair.  
  
"Are you hungry?" she asks.  
  
The boy nods.  
  
"Okay, then." She says sitting up, "What do you want?"  
  
"Like, bacon, eggs, and, like, orange juice." Is the reply, "And, like, some salsa with that."  
  
"Your mother wasn't kidding when she named you 'Norville'!" Velma laughs then gets up to get his breakfast ready on the little grill they keep at one end of the van.  
  
Norville bursts out into laughter. Velma had often playfully teased him on being like his uncle in so many ways.  
  
Soon the van is full of the aroma of bacon and eggs. It soon reaches the keen sense of smell of Scooby and Shaggy. They soon get up. "Like, is that bacon and eggs I smell, old buddy?" Shaggy asks. "Ruh-huh!" Scooby barks happily back licking his chops.  
  
"Like, you know what that means, don't you, Scoob?" Shaggy continues.  
  
"Rit's reakrast rime!" Scooby barks again with his mouth drooling.  
  
The two of them then head off like a missile to where Velma has the bacon frying. Fred and Daphne join them as well.  
  
"Gee, Velma," Freddie says, "it is really nice of you to cook breakfast."  
  
"Actually," Velma informs them, "little Norville got hungry."  
  
Everyone looks at Norville and laughs.  
  
"Like, that would make sense!" Shaggy exclaims.  
  
Norville finds himself laughing as well.  
  
After breakfast, everyone is sitting in the back of the van discussing the day's agenda.  
  
"For starters," Freddie begins, "at thirteen hundred hours, there is going to be an inquest at the courthouse."  
  
"But, like, first" Norville speaks up, "I think I better, like, go home. Since, like, my parents maybe, like, wondering where I am."  
  
"That's a good idea," Daphne agrees, "our parents may be wondering where we all are."  
  
"Okay, okay," Fred says, "we'll do that. Any other ideas?"  
  
"I would like to look at the house once again." Velma says thoughtfully.  
  
"G...g...g...g...go back?" Shaggy asks in a shaky voice, "Like, why?"  
  
"Something just didn't seem right last night." She replies.  
  
Shaggy, little Norville, and Scooby look at each other and gulp. "And, like, that's from a girl that's, like, terrified at the sight of that ghost!" Shaggy exclaims.  
  
"But, like, why, Velma?" Norville asks.  
  
"Reah!" parrots Scooby, "Rhy?"  
  
"I don't know," Velma answers, "something tells me, but I don't know what."  
  
"But, like, what I know what my stomach tells me," Shaggy chuckles as he smears chocolate sauce onto a hotdog, "is, like, that I'm hungry!"  
  
"Oh, Shaggy!" the others moan. All, that is, except for Norville and Scooby. They walk over to Shaggy and join him.  
  
After a few minutes, the gang got back together to discuss the case.  
  
"Like, if you ask me," Shaggy states, "I'd say that, like, this mystery is, like, going nowhere."  
  
"Like, explain yourself, Uncle Shag." Little Norville requests looking up at his uncle.  
  
Just as Shaggy is about to utter a word, Velma breaks in and explains, "It's quite simple, Norville. We have questions, but no answers; clues, but no way of putting them together."  
  
"Oh." Norville understands raising his eyebrows. He then suggests, "Why don't we, like, go to Smith Household Products and, like, ask people there to look around, ask the workers and maybe, like, get some more clues?"  
  
"Capital idea!" Fred agrees, "I suggest that we split up for the time being. Daphne and I will go to Smith Household Products, and Velma you go with Shaggy and Scooby to where ever you think is necessary."  
  
"But, Fred," Velma inquires, "what about Norville?"  
  
"Well..." Fred begins. "he can come with Daphne and me."  
  
"Are you sure he shouldn't stay with Shaggy?" Daphne asks.  
  
"Like, that's okay," Norville speaks up to Freddie, "like, I don't mind going you."  
  
"Perfect, then!" Daphne exclaims, "Two even groups, for once."  
  
Later, Fred drops Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma at her house. The three of them then climb into her car and drive off to Sarah's house.  
  
"Like, what I don't understand," Shaggy says during the drive, "is, like, why we have to drive there ourselves instead of, like, Freddie dropping us off. Like, we were just a few blocks away."  
  
"Because," Velma explains, "I have a feeling that we will be going all over town before the day is out."  
  
Shaggy doesn't bother to speak for the rest of the ride. He just looks at Scooby in the back seat and shrugs.  
  
At Smith's Household Products, Fred, Daphne, and little Norville climb down from the Mystery Machine and stare in awe at the sight around them. There in a huge lot, is an enormous office building—at least one hundred stories tall. Looking up, Norville lets out a low whistle.  
  
"Let's go inside." Fred says.  
  
The three head inside. Once inside, the three look around to find themselves in a sea of black. Every worker is wearing a black suit, dress, or, in the case of the custodians, a black jumper.  
  
"They must have been told this morning." Daphne reckons looking around her.  
  
Just then a lady in a black jacket and skirt with a white blouse walks up to them. There are tears in her eyes. "May I help you?" she asks between sniffs. Norville removes his hat a courtesy jester.  
  
"Uh..." Freddie begins, "if we came at a bad time we ca..."  
  
"Oh, no," she lady interrupts, "it's about Miss. Smith, isn't it?"  
  
"Why, yes." Freddie replies. "Would you mind if we ask the employees a few questions?"  
  
The lady nods her head and says, "You can, but some are more willing to talk than others."  
  
Freddie smiles and says, "Thank-you, ma'am."  
  
As the lady leaves, Fred turns to Daphne and Norville. "We better split up if we want to talk to everybody in the building." He says, "I'll go alone. Daphne, you can look around with Norville."  
  
"Like," Norville says, "Daphne can go with you, Fred. I'll, like, go alone."  
  
"All right, then," Fred gives in taking Daphne's arm in his, "you go alone, Norville, take notes, and if people refuse to talk, don't force it out of them. Above all, be courteous. Miss. Smith was greatly loved by her employers."  
  
Norville smiles and salutes, "Like, you can count on me!"  
  
As they depart, off in the distance looking at them is a tall, young woman in her early thirties, with fair skin, light green eyes, and red hair.  
  
Over at Sarah's house, Velma is turning on the taps in every room where there is a sink.  
  
"This mystery is getting very weird." She says scratching her chin.  
  
"Like, I'd say," Shaggy agrees, "Like, first there is blood running out and now—clean water!"  
  
"Re ree!" Scooby barks in agreement.  
  
Velma begins to walk around the house.  
  
"Like," Shaggy asks, "what are you looking for, Velma?"  
  
"I don't know." she replies, "Just something, I guess."  
  
"Like if it's okay with you." Shaggy then replies, "Scoob and I are, like, going to check out the kitchen for, like, some clues."  
  
"I know what you are really going to look for," Velma says looking over the rims of her glasses, "but go ahead anyway."  
  
Scooby and Shaggy run happily to the kitchen.  
  
"That will give me some time to myself." Velma says to herself once they are gone.  
  
She then looks through the different rooms of the house which Fred and Daphne saw the first day. She is fascinated with the bookshelf and the library of books. She takes one off the shelf. It is a Campion story. Velma looks at it and smiles. She remembers this book well. It is the same one that had been sitting on the shelf in her store since who knows when. There is even a date of sale on it, which Tina always put into books that are sold. "September 10th ," Velma thinks to herself, "hmm...fairly recent. Jinkies! Sarah almost has all the novels of every mystery author here. Impressive!"  
  
She looks around. In the room there is a small couch, a quite nice little table, a television, and quite a few DVD's and videos. Walking towards the video library, Velma spies a newspaper on the table. It is from yesterday. Velma glances at the headline. "Catherine Found In Flowerbed" it reads. "When was the press told?" Velma wonders. She tucks the paper under her arm and looks at the Sarah's movies. There are very little of what you may call family films, mostly documentaries on crimes, and a large amount of Alfred Hitchcock productions.  
  
Velma then turns her attention to a pile of photo albums lying in a neatly in one corner. She picks one up and looks at it. She flips through it then stops when she reaches a picture, which caught her eye. It is a family portrait. In it are four people and the family pet, a Golden Retriever. Standing in the back, there is a father standing strait and tall, next to him is a boy possibly in his teens. Sitting on a chair, is a sweet-faced woman, next to her, also sitting, is a girl no more than nine or ten. The Retriever is lying on the floor by the girl's feet. The dog appears to be looking at the camera with its head tilted to one side as if saying, "What am I doing here?" Velma looks closely at the girls face. "It's Sarah." She says to herself. She then takes a closer look at the parents. "Where have I seen those faces before?" she asks herself. She takes the picture out of the album and looks at the back for a date. She finds one—'July 1991'. Just about a decade ago. Velma puts the picture into her pocket for later use. She then goes to join Scooby and Shaggy in the kitchen.  
  
Over at the company, Freddie and Daphne have not been having much luck collecting clues from the workers. Little Norville has not had much luck with the employees either. He had gotten a talk with a few, but the subject basically stayed with one subject—how "such a sweet lady Miss Smith was". Norville is beginning to feel discouraged. Just then, a young woman walks up to him.  
  
"Hello," she says is a sweet voice.  
  
"Like, hi." Norville responds in a shy voice. He was never accustomed to women walking up and talking to him. To be quite frank, he had always been nervous around the opposite sex.  
  
"What's your name?" the woman asks.  
  
"Norville." The boy replies extending his hand.  
  
"I'm Susie." The woman replies shaking his hand. "I'm sorry for startling you like this, but I saw you when you came in and had heard that you were asking questions about Ms. Smith." She explains.  
  
"Zoinks! Like, that's correct." Norville confirms. "So, can you, like, tell me anything about Ms. Smith?"  
  
"You mean, 'who would want to harm her?" Susie clarifies.  
  
"Like, yeah. So, can you tell me?" Norville says a little nervously.  
  
Susie smiles, takes little Norville to a chair and sits him down.  
  
Sitting in an opposite chair, she says, "I can tell you al lot, young man."


	7. The Inquest

As noon approaches and passes, Scooby and Shaggy are digging through the kitchen for something to eat.  
  
"Like, this place is basically empty!" Shaggy exclaims in disgust.  
  
"Reah, rempty." Parrots Scooby tossing a few empty cans to the floor at Velma's feet as she enters the room.  
  
"Scooby," she scolds, "this is no way to act in someone's house."  
  
Shaggy begins to snicker. Noticing this, Velma snaps, "That goes for you too, Norville."  
  
Shaggy instantly stops and stands looking at Velma. He is awe struck. Velma had never used his real name unless she was very displeased with his behavior.  
  
"Now clean up this mess." She orders, "Both of you!"  
  
While Shaggy and Scooby are doing as they're told, Shaggy asks, "Like, have you found anything interesting, Velma?"  
  
"It's hard to say." She replies. "It seems as if this mystery is getting nowhere."  
  
"Like, we hate it when that happens. Like, don't we Scoob?" Shaggy says.  
  
"Ruh-huh." Scooby agrees.  
  
"Why so?" Velma asks.  
  
"Because," Shaggy explains, "like, that means that, like, we have to go look for more clues, and that, like, means that we are going to, like, encounter the monster even more, and that, like, means that Scoob and me are, like, going to be scared even more. Which, we, like, don't like."  
  
"Rat's rue!" Scooby agrees.  
  
"Awe, come on you guys," Velma moans, "don't be a bunch of wimps!"  
  
Shaggy looks at Scooby and exclaims, "Like, we've been wimps all our lives and, like, now she tells us not to be!"  
  
Scooby then shakes his head.  
  
On their way back to join the rest, Freddie, Daphne, and little Norville go over the notes they collected at the company. Which are very few.  
  
Freddie and Daphne got nowhere.  
  
"It's just the same thing over and over." Complains Daphne.  
  
"Like, I got something a little bit, like, different." Little Norville speaks up.  
  
"Oh?" Freddie asks looking at the boy, "What did you get?"  
  
"Like, simply this." Norville replies handing his notebook to Daphne. She opens it up and reads:  
  
Name: Susie Bowers  
  
Miss smith had many enemies Very few friends Inherited company from a relative Once did insider trading like Martha Stewart (and got away with it) Had given Susie her first job as a designers assistant Later, made Susie manager of the clothing department. Became a good friend to Ms. Smith.  
  
"That's pretty interesting." Daphne remarks handing the notebook back to Norville. He just grins happy that she is pleased of his findings.  
  
Freddie, Daphne, and little Norville are driving down to the courthouse where they had intended to meet with the rest Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby. Velma is driving to the police station.  
  
"Like, why are we going there?" Shaggy asks.  
  
"I want to look at a few files," she replies.  
  
"Like, why?" he inquires.  
  
"Reah, rhy?" parrots Scooby.  
  
Velma passes Shaggy the picture that she took out of the album. Shaggy studies it. "Look familiar?" Velma asks him. "Like, the adults' faces?" Shaggy asks, "Like, yeah. But I can't, like, put my finger on it." "That's what I said." Velma chuckles.  
  
Over at the courthouse, the Mystery Machine pulls up. Freddie jumps out and takes a look around. "We must be early." He says. "Well, no duh." Daphne replies, "The inquest isn't until noon. It's half past." "Like, since we have thirty minutes," Norville says, "how about we, like, go and get some grub." "Don't you have any food in your knapsack?" Fred asks turning to the boy. "Yeah," he replies, "but I, like, ate it all." "All of it?" Fred and Daphne ask in unison. "Yup." The boy replies. "Here," Daphne says giving Norville a twenty dollar bill, "there is a little fast food restaurant around the corner. Go and get something." The boy smiles as a sign of gratitude and leaves.  
  
As soon as he turns around the corner, Fred puts his arm around Daphne's shoulders. "You know," he whispers into her ear, "with the little fellow gone, we get to have some time to our selves." Daphne just giggles as he kisses her on the cheek.  
  
"Sergeant Slack," Velma says, as she walks through the big doors of the police station with Shaggy and Scooby at her heels, "is it okay if I look at some criminal mug shots?" "Sure." a young black man with replies in a Southern accent from behind the counter. He lets the three through to the record room. Velma smiles at him as a thank-you gesture, while Scooby and Shaggy engage a friendly conversation with the sergeant.  
  
As Velma is looking through the files she holds out the picture and  
asks, "Jem, have you  
seen these people before?" "The adults?" the sergeant asks. Velma  
nods her head. Jem  
looks at the picture then scratches his head in thought and replies,  
"They look familiar but  
I can't remember where." Velma just sighs. "Do you have any ideas?"  
she asks. The  
man rubs his chin then replies, "The obits? Yeah, the obits at least  
five years ago." "The  
obituaries..." Velma thinks, "Just great!" She quickly looks through  
all the obituary files  
from the date on the back of the picture.  
  
Back at the Mystery Machine, little Norville returns to the Mystery Machine to find Freddie and Daphne lying on each other in the front seats sleeping. Norville, who doesn't want to be all alone like in the morning, blows up a plastic bag. He then moves over to their heads and pops the bag. Fred and Daphne wake up with a jump. "Get down!" Freddie yells as he pushed Daphne down to the floor, "We're under attack!"  
  
Daphne gives him a stern look and he realizes that he is in the Mystery Machine. He instantly helps Daphne up and lets out a weak smile. Daphne brushes herself off and asks, "Dreaming about cowboys and Indians again?" "No," Fred blushes, "World War Two." "Like, say what?" little Norville asks. Fred and Daphne laugh. "Fred has been dreaming about history lately." Daphne explains. "Only because I recently found my history text books from high school and decided to read them." Freddie explains further. Norville gives a confused face and replies, "Okay..."  
  
"Well enough about Fred," Daphne says, looking with a smile to little Norville, "how was your little meal." "Like, not big enough." The boy responds. Fred and Daphne look at each other and burst into laughter. "He's more and more like Shaggy everyday!" they joke. Norville just looks at his toes and blushes.  
  
Once they settle down, Fred asks yawning, "What time is it?"  
  
Norville looks at his watch and replies, "Like, twelve fifty-five."  
  
"Really?" Daphne asks, "Velma and Shaggy should be here by now."  
  
Fred and Norville shrug.  
  
Over at the station, Velma is still searching through files. "1995...nothing...1996... nothing. This is very discouraging." She thinks to herself. "1997... ah here's something!" she pulls out a file and opens it. "Jinkies!"  
  
Suddenly, the station doors swing open and in walks Sheriff Sam. "Hey, Jem!" he calls out, "Are you coming to the inquest? Cause if you are, you better hurry, it'll start soon!"  
  
Velma instantly looks up from the file then at the clock. "Jinkies! How time flies!" She exclaims. "Velma?" Sam asks, "Is that you?" Velma pokes her head out from a pile of files. "Yes." She answers. "Aren't you coming to the inquest, Ms. Dinkley?" Sam inquires. "Like, yeah." Shaggy replies getting up from behind the counter where he and Scooby had been resting. "Good grief!" the sheriff exclaims jumping back, "Don't startle me like that, Norville!" "Like, that's 'Shaggy" Shaggy corrects.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Like that's okay, Samuel." Shaggy replies with a grin on his face.  
  
The sheriff grins back, "Well, are you coming are aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm a comin'." Jem replies stacking a few papers into a neat pile. "Hurry on, then" Sam urges as he heads for the door. "Hold on, Sam." Velma yells grabbing her jacket and purse, "We're coming with you!" She, Scooby and Shaggy run out the door after Jem and Sam.  
  
Back at the courthouse, people are already beginning to gather together to observe the inquest. "Where are Velma and Shaggy?" Daphne asks in an impatient voice. "I don't know." Fred replies, "But they better hurry, the hearing is going to start any minute." "Should we, like start heading in?" little Norville asks from behind the seat. "Good idea," Freddie agrees opening his door, "they can meet us inside."  
  
Just then, Sam's car pulls up shortly followed by Velma's. Sam jumps out of his car with Jem. Velma, Scooby and Shaggy do likewise. The five of them run up to Fred, Daphne, and little Norville. "Hey, guys!" Velma exclaims as she catches up with Fred and Daphne, "Sorry we're late, but I ran into something very interesting down at the police station." "Indeed." Freddie says raising his brow, "well, you better tell it to us all about it later. Let's head inside, shall we?" Velma grins and goes inside.  
  
Once inside, the gang meets nearly the entire town along with a huge mob of reporters and cameramen. "Oh no," Daphne pouts, "not them!" "Like, NOT GROOVY!" Shaggy joins in.  
  
"Look! There's Mystery Inc!" a voice calls out from the reporters. Instantly the gang is surrounded by the vast media and compounded by questions.  
  
"What are your views on the death of Ms. Smith?"  
  
"I..." Velma starts  
  
"What was it like to discover a body?"  
  
"Well..." Daphne replies  
  
"Are you switching from ghost busting to common mysteries?"  
  
"Er..." Fred tries to explain.  
  
"Will you take the place of the police in this mystery?"  
  
"Like, wait a minute!" Shaggy yells above the people's voices, "The inquest hasn't, like, started yet and you are asking questions that will be like answered in time. Like, we don't even know what the, like, verdict is! So, like, lay off! Calm down! You can, like, pound us with these questions later, because, like, right now I feel like going for, like, some nice chili peppers!" Slowly, the reporters reluctantly disperse. "Hey! That was pretty good, Shaggy" Daphne exclaims. "Like, what, Daph?" Shaggy asks in a quite confused voice. "For a moment there," Daphne explains, "you were talking like Velma would." "Okay," Shaggy says shrugging, "maybe I've been spending too much time with Velma". Velma and Fred throw their heads back and laugh. "Enough about Shaggy's impersonation of Velma," Fred says when he finally calms down, "let's go in." "Like, excuse me, Fred," Shaggy replies, "but, like, I'll be off to get some peppers." Upon hearing this, Scooby and Norville chorus out, "I'm with you!" With that, they head for the door only to be stopped by Freddie who scolds, "We're here to solve a mystery and not to eat the first thing that comes to mind concerning food!" The three groan. "Come on, guys." Velma says, "Let's go in." Everyone turn to go into the courtroom.  
  
Once inside the room, the gang takes seats in the far back and looks around them. Before them, are sitting some of the old ladies from their neighborhood who, had often insisted to be referred to as 'Grandma'. To their left, are their parents. They are doing nothing in particular, just sitting there. The gang then looks to their right and see various other people from town. Such as Mayor Thomas Maran, his wife, Patricia; Dr. Hungad, the most well-known dentist in town; and Dr. Jerics, Scooby's vet (and probably the last man on his best friends list).  
  
Little Norville looks around him out of boredom. He then turn to his uncle and whispers, "Uncle Shaggy," "Yes?" replies his uncle. "Like, can I use, like, uh...the rest room?" Shaggy smiles and replies with a slight chuckle, "Like, certainly. It's just down those stairs and to your right." And he points out which staircase. "Like, thanks." Norville says with a smile as he climbs over Freddie and Daphne to get out. He easily finds the washroom. Moments later, the inquest begins.  
  
The judge enters, and a jury is called. A doctor is called forth for questioning. "Dr. Potter," Judge McGarol begins putting on his bifocals, "from what few remains there are of the late Miss Smith, what have you concluded?"  
  
"Well," replies the doctor, "she died of three bullets to the chest, puncturing the vital organs."  
  
"What about the murder weapon?" the judge inquires.  
  
"Supposedly, a semi automatic with .22 caliber cartridges." Is the reply.  
  
Shaggy leans over to Velma and asks, "Like, isn't that the type of bullets you, like, found in Sarah's attic?"  
  
Velma looks at the box, which she had been keeping in her purse and nods her head.  
  
"And, like, how about the gun we, like, found?"  
  
"I don't know," Velma replies shrugging her shoulders, "Sergeant York has that. Though, I think it is a semi automatic. By the way, where's Norville? I haven't seen him since the inquest started."  
  
"Like, I don't know." Shaggy replies looking around, "All I, like, know is that he, like went to use the bathroom." As he gets up he says, "Like, I better go check on him. Like, come on, Scoob."  
  
Velma smiles and tells him, "I'll tell what you miss when you return." Shaggy looks at her with a grin as he and Scooby jump over Fred and Daphne into the isle.  
  
Meanwhile, Norville is returning from his little trip. However, he forgot the directions that Shaggy gave him and found himself lost in the basement of the courthouse. "HELP..." he says to himself, "This place is, like, super creepy." Trying to calm his nerves, the boy begins to sing to himself, "Oh, I had a stomach and my stomach pleased me and I fed my stomach under the yonder tree. And the stomach said 'burp, burp'. Oh, I had some soup and my soup pleased me and I ate my soup under the yonder tree. And the soup said, 'slurp, slurp' and the stomach, 'burp, burp."  
  
He then turns the corner, sees two people fighting. He listens for a while then, quickly turns around and runs. As he turns the corner, in the darkness, he runs into a skinny man wearing a long shirt that is untucked. The man grabs the boy with strong loving arms and Norville squeezes the man's waist tightly and feels a large animal at his feet. The man then lowers to Norville's level. "Like, Norville," He asks drying the tears forming in the boy's eyes, "what's the matter?" "Like, nothing, Uncle Shag." Norville replies as he scratches Scooby's head, "I, like, seemed to have, like, lost my way...and, like, it's pretty dark in here." Shaggy chuckles slightly, "Like, wow! You're becoming more like me everyday!" Norville's face lights up with a slight smile. "Come on," Shaggy urges his nephew, "we're, like, missing the inquest." Norville grasps his uncle's hand and they walk up to the main floor.  
  
"Like what have I missed?" Shaggy asks as he and Norville return to their seats.  
  
"Nothing much." Velma replies, "Doctor Potter just stated that Miss Smith was hacked apart at every joint by either a hatchet or a very sharp kitchen knife."  
  
"Like, yuck!" little Norville exclaims in disgust and is quickly hushed by Shaggy.  
  
"And, like, what about the time of death?" Shaggy inquires further.  
  
"At least three weeks ago." Is the reply.  
  
The next person to be inquired is Inspector McGoogle. He had gone around Smith's Household Products the day before and had asked nearly every employee about Miss Smith's actions before the time she disappeared.  
  
"Well, it's like this," the inspector says in a strong Scottish accent, "me and me lads went on down to that there building and we spread out."  
  
"And?" the judge asks, "What did you discover?"  
  
"A bunch of weeping people." McGoogle replies with a taste of disgust.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Everyone was weeping." The inspector explains, "I heard later from the sheriff that somehow a news man was able to get in among the crowd of inspectors and had spread the news all over the town. The poor chap, he was put in jail for that."  
  
"Yes, sir." The judge tries to get the inspector back onto the subject, "But did you get any information what so ever?"  
  
"There was this," McGoogle replies putting his thoughts back together, "they says that Miss Smith did a lot of visiting to her lawyer."  
  
"Did you question the lawyer?"  
  
"Why naturally," the inspector replies sitting up straight as if boasting on his act, "he said that she came to see her about the contents of her will."  
  
"Did he disclose anything else to you?" the judge asks leaning forward.  
  
"No." is the reply.  
  
"In that case inspector," the judge says fixing his bifocals, "you may sit down."  
  
Inspector McGoogle grins at Judge McGarol as a sign of thank-you and sit down. Everywhere around the room, the sound of pencils hitting paper, cameras being moved around and people can be heard.  
  
The next person to be interrogated is Officer Lute Thomson, a young man in his mid twenties and what one might call a hippie. There the man stands in front of the court with a tie-dyed suit, tie, and pink snickers. Officer Thomson was in charge of looking around the yard for any clues.  
  
"Did you find any?" the judge inquires.  
  
"You know what, Pops?" Lute replies, "It's like funny you should, like, say that, man. You see me and my dudes, were, like, called in late yeah we were like enjoying our daily cup of caffeine and, like, really chillin' out, man. So we, like, met at the lady's yard and were like 'peace out dude' and all that other kind a like stuff. An' we, like, looked around. We were, like, 'wow', then like 'wow', and then we were like 'neh'."  
  
"Yes, but did you find anything?" Judge McGarol asks again in a stressed voice.  
  
"Well, I'll tell you what, judgeo," relies Lute leaning towards the judge, "We dudes, like, understand each other."  
  
"What?" the judge asks in a confused voice.  
  
Fred looks around him. "Does anybody understand this guy?" he asks leaning towards the rest of the gang.  
  
"Like, what are you talking about Fred?" Shaggy says turning towards his friend, "Like, he is totally speaking my lingo." "Then maybe you can explain it to them." Velma says as she points to a corner of the room. Everywhere reporters are looking up from their notepads with no clue what so ever what Lute is saying. "Like, no problemo, Velms." Shaggy says as he waves his hand, "I'll be, like, happy to do it. Right after I, like, have a snack." Velma chuckles to herself lightly.  
  
Lute finally explains to the judge, "I mean judgey, we, like, found absolutely nothin', zilch, nada thin'."  
  
"In that case, Officer Thomson," Judge McGarol says wiping his brow, "you may sit down."  
  
Lute quickly does so.  
  
Judge McGarol then turns to the jury. "I know that there is very little to go on." He begins, "So I am counting on you to use your good judgment in your decision." The jurymen then leave into an adjoining room.  
  
"What do you think is going to be the verdict?" Daphne asks.  
  
"Most likely suicide." Replies Velma, "All the evidence points to it."  
  
"Like, what evidence?" Shaggy asks, "That Lute guy said, like, nothing but a lot of, like, chitter chatter."  
  
"Yeah," Fred joins in, "the motives for doing it are just perfect anyway."  
  
"So, like, what do you guys think it is?" Little Norville inquires.  
  
"From what we've seen," Freddie replies, "murder by person or persons unknown."  
  
Just then, the jury reappears. After they are all assembled again judge McGarol asks, "Have you gentlemen come to a decision?" A man stands up in representation of the jury and replies, "Yes, your Honor, we have."  
  
"And your decision is?"  
  
"Suicide." 


	8. Gone, Before Their Very Eyes

A/N: Hi everybody! I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to update but ever since school was out, I have been kept very busy. Anyway after this chapter, the first part of my story should be down hill. Enjoy!

"How can it be suicide?" Velma yells at Sam once she gets outside the room. The tall man just turns around and gives her a blank look. "You want to know why?" he conforms in his well-known John Wayne imitation. "Yes." Is the answer. "Okay, I'll tell you." Sam says as he approaches Velma, "Smith's Household Products is going to the dogs." "Is that all?" Velma asks raising an eyebrow. Sam takes in a deep breathe and replies, "One, Miss Smith had been going through depression; two, she had a large amount of money in her life insurance; and three, her family is suffering financially." Velma's eyes narrow, "I thought she had no family." "Close family, that is." Sam informs her, "She had some distant cousins whom she was supporting."  
  
"Can't they find work?" inquires Velma.  
  
"They are handicapped, lazy, and drunks." Is the reply.  
  
"If that is the case," Velma says, "why wasn't it brought before the court?"  
  
"Oh it was." Replies Sam, "Just in the other room."  
  
Velma displays a face of confusion. "You see," Sam explains, "Miss Smith had always said that her family matters were not to be told to just anybody and, therefore, what we told the jury had to be of complete secrecy."  
  
Velma looks at Sam squarely in the eye and says, "Smooth, Sam, real smooth." Sam just stands there and smiles.  
  
"Velma! So here you are, you snuck out on us." comes a voice from behind them. Velma and Sam turn around to find Daphne. "Sorry about that, Daph." Velma apologizes, "I just had to have a talk with Sam." "What about?" inquires Daphne.  
  
"Motives." Replies Sam.  
  
"Why the verdict was suicide." Velma explains.  
  
"Sounds interesting." Daphne comments, "So, does this mean that the case is over, Sam?"  
  
"Yes." The man replies, "And that means no more sleuthing by you guys."  
  
"Fat chance, Sam." Fred calls out as he joins them, "we happen to know that it was murder, not suicide."  
  
"How?" Sam asks.  
  
"Like, would you believe me if I, like, told you we, like, saw Miss Smith's ghost." Shaggy asks as he, Scooby, and Norville walk up.  
  
"Not really, Shaggy." Sheriff Sam replies as he crosses his arms, "Will you please tell me about it?" he asks in a playful voice.  
  
"Well," Shaggy begins, "we were, like, over at our, like, client's house and, like—"  
  
"Who's your client?" Sam interrupts.  
  
"Like, I'm sorry, Sam," Shaggy replies, "but, like, business forbids me to, like, disclose the, like, names of, like, the involved persons." Sam just shrugs and motions Shaggy to continue, which he does. "So, like, we were, like, in the back yard, the wind, like, blew, and, like, all of a sudden this, like, ghost appears." And he points to Scooby, who acts out exactly what Miss Smith did. When he is done, little Norville walks up to Scooby, pats him on the head and comments, "Like, wow, Scoob! You must have been good in drama class!" "Rell, rank-rou!" replies Scooby licking Norville's face.  
  
"Well," Sam says in a slightly teasing voice, "that was a pretty amazing little adventure you had there. However, without any proof, it can just be called another figment of your imagination."  
  
"But honest, Sam" Fred objects, "we all saw it."  
  
"Sure you did," Sam says as he pats Fred on the shoulder, "it was late, you see things that aren't really there."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Don't bother about the ghost." The sheriff instructs, "You know it really is a person in a mask."  
  
"All right, Mr. Explainer," Daphne inquires, "explain how she was able to hide herself in the flower bed."  
  
"Yeah," agrees Fred, "you explain that to us."  
  
"She had an accomplice." Replies Sam.  
  
"Then explain the ghost!" everyone cries in unison.  
  
"Look!" Sam snaps back, "Until you can give me some good hard evidence to prove otherwise, the verdict is still suicide and the ghost never existed!" and with that, he walks off. "Like, man!" exclaims Shaggy, "What a discussion!" "And another thing," Sam calls back, "you can stop you sleuthing—an far as the court is concerned, this case is finished!"  
  
"Well, folks," a voice calls from behind them, "it appears that Mystery Incorporated has lost their first case!"  
  
"Awe man!" Shaggy exclaims as he turns around to view a group of reporters, "They were watching us!"  
  
"Fred," a reporter asks as he puts a microphone before Fred, "what is it like to loose your first case?"  
  
"What?" Fred asks, "We didn't say anything of the sort!"  
  
"Yeah! So, like, stop coming to conclusions." Shaggy yells.  
  
"Miss Blake," another reporter starts, "there are rumors that you are thinking of giving Velma a major make-over—are those rumors true?"  
  
"What?" Daphne asks. She then turns to face Velma who has a 'that better not be true' expression on her face. "You don't need to be that way, Velma." Daphne finally replies, "I haven't the slightest idea what they are talking about." Velma's expression doesn't change. "Honest, Velma." Daphne persists. "It better be true." Velma says in a threatening voice. Daphne's face turns white with fear Velma had always had a way of getting her point across. When Velma sees Daphne's face a grin appears across her face and she bursts into a roar of laughter. "What's going on here?" demands Freddie. Velma, trying to control her laughter replies, "You should have seen Daphne's face! It was hilarious!" "You set me up didn't you?" Daphne asks once realizing that it was just another of Velma's colorful gags. "Yes!" is the reply. "Why, you little rascal!" Daphne yells. She then reaches out and grabs Velma's glasses clearly off her face. "Nice try, Daph." Velma grins, "I was expecting that. So I put on my contacts!" Daphne looks at the pair of glasses in her hand and displays a face of 'what do you mean?' "See for yourself, they're non- prescriptioned." Velma explains. "My real glasses are in my pocket." "But, like, Velma," Shaggy asks, "why do you keep contacts with you?" "You never know when you can need them!" is the reply. Everyone else burst into laughter while Velma blushes slightly.  
  
"What newspaper are you with anyway?" Daphne asks the reporter who asked her the question. "The Millionaire Enquirer." Is the reply. "I never heard of that before." Comments Fred. "Well, I have," A voice comes from behind them, "and frankly I don't like it." Everyone turns to see George Blake standing a few feet away with his hands on his hips.  
  
"Hi, Daddy!" Daphne greets her father.  
  
Mr. Blake smiles as a salutation to the gang then turns his attention to the reporters. "May I ask what questions you have been asking my daughter about?" he demands. The reporters look at each other trying to figure out what to respond.  
  
"The inquest." One finally speaks up.  
  
"Rumors." Replies another.  
  
"What kind of rumors?" Mr. Jones asks as he walks up to Mr. Blake.  
  
"Major makeovers." Is the reply.  
  
"On Velma." Clarifies another.  
  
"I see." Mr. Blake says. He then turns to his friend and says, "What do you think about this, Jones?"  
  
Mr. Jones rubs his chin and replies, "I don't know, Blake; but it seems that these people are annoying reporters trying to get on the nerves of our children."  
  
Fred rolls his eyes and exclaims out of disgust, "Here he goes again being over protective!" "I know what you mean." Daphne agrees, "When will they understand that we are adults who can take care of ourselves and not children?"  
  
"When we can solve a mystery that does not involve putting our lives at risk!" Velma chuckles in reply.  
  
"Listen up, everybody," Mr. Blake's harsh voice rings through the hallway, "if you don't leave my daughter alone I will report a complaint to your superiors." Slowly, the reporters retreat.  
  
Velma looks at Daphne's face, which is beginning to turn red. "Is anything the matter?" she asks her friend. "This has to be the most embarrassing thing my father has gotten me into." "Don't worry." Comforts Velma, "My dad's done worse."  
  
"His stories?"  
  
Velma just grins and nods slightly. They both then giggle among themselves.  
  
"What goes on here?" Mr. Dinkley asks as he walks up with all the other parents.  
  
"Nothing but a few pesky reporters, Dinkley." Mr. Jones replies.  
  
"Oh really?" Harold confirms.  
  
"Like, what do we do now?" Little Norville asks his uncle.  
  
Like, I don't know about you, Lil' Shag," Shaggy replies, "but I'm, like, starved!"  
  
"Re roo!" Scooby barks out happily wagging his tail.  
  
"I suppose we all are." Mrs. Blake concludes, "It will be dinner time soon. Why don't you all come over to our house for dinner in say half an hour?"  
  
"Good," agrees Shuggy, "it'll give Norville a chance to clean up."  
  
"Awe Mom!" Norville pouts as him parents lead him to the car.  
  
"You know," Mr. Dinkley says as they disperse, "that little talk you had with those reporters reminded me of the time reporters were surrounding me while I was trying to record the mating habits of a dace. You see it was a few years ago that I..."  
  
"Oh brother," Velma says as she rolls her eyes, "here he goes again. If you guys don't mind, I think I'll head out another way."  
  
"I'll go with you, Velma." Comes a voice from behind them.  
  
"Uncle Fritz!" Velma exclaims turn to the origin voice, "Too fed up with dad's stories?"  
  
"Quite." Fritz replies with a slight chuckle as he and the gang leave through another exit  
  
"There shall be guests for dinner, Brantford." Mr. Blake says as he gives the butler his hat and coat. "Very well, sir." Brantford replies taking the coats of Daphne and Mrs. Blake, "May I ask how many?"  
  
"Thirteen." Is the reply.  
  
"Very good, sir. I shall notify the cook." Brantford says as he leaves.  
  
"I hope this won't be too much trouble for you, Brantford." Mr. Blake says.  
  
"No, not at all, sir." The butler replies stopping short and turning around, "I have had worse." And leaves.  
  
Mr. Blake chuckles slightly turns to his wife and inquires, "Your Mother's Night Out parties?"  
  
Throughout the main entrance a little giggle can be heard. Mr. and Mrs. Blake look to see Daphne on the verge of full flung laughter.  
  
"Look at you, little missy." Elizabeth Blake scolds, "You've been wearing those dirty things for two days straight. Go upstairs and get changed."  
  
Daphne just smiles lightly, turns to go upstairs and calls to her butler, Jenkins, "Come along, Jenkins you may draw my bath now."  
  
"Yes, Madam." The butler replies and climbs the stairs with her.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Blake look at each other and chuckle a bit. "I don't know about you, George," Elizabeth says as they enter the parlor, "but I always thought that it would be better that Daphne had a maid instead of a butler."  
  
"What's wrong with a butler?" her husband asks pouring himself a drink out of his bar.  
  
"Well, I don't know about you," Mrs. Blake replies, "but I think that in the case of picking out dresses, a butler is of no use."  
  
"Oh, Elizabeth!" George chuckles as he sips his drink.  
  
"Come along, Norville" Shuggy instruct her son, "the Blakes will be expecting us any minute."  
  
"I'm hurrying' as fast as I can, mom." The boy calls back, "I just can't find what to, like, wear."  
  
"I don't care, just put on something clean" is the reply.  
  
Norville just looks through his suitcase and sighs. "Mom would, like, want me to wear something that would, like, coordinate properly." He concludes and goes into a train of deep thought. "I got it!" he finally exclaims snapping his fingers. He instantly starts looking through his clothes and pulls out a green polo shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of white socks. After getting dressed Norville looks at himself in the mirror and giggles to himself, "Mom better not, like, ask me to wear a tie."  
  
"Hey Norville," John asks at the door of the room, "you look great." Norville just grins slightly. "By the way," Mr. Jackson continues, "Mom wants you to bring along you homework. Maybe you can do some after lunch."  
  
"But, like, dad," Norville whines, "Uncle Shaggy and the gang are probably going to talk about the mystery and it's just, like, getting exciting!"  
  
John had heard this excuse before. Sitting down on the bed he asks, "Having trouble with math again, son?" Norville just looks down at his feet and nods lightly.  
  
"Why don't you ask Shaggy to help you?" John inquires.  
  
"Uncle Shag was never, like, actually good at any school subjects." The boy explains, "You know that." "Why not ask Velma then?" Shuggy asks who had overheard their conversation.  
  
"I don't really know..." Norville replies.  
  
"Why not?" his mom inquires.  
  
"It may annoy her to, like, have to tutor me." Replies the boy looking down at his toes.  
  
"Oh I don't think so." Shuggy says, "Velma often helped the rest of the gang with their schooling." She chuckles for a moment then continues, "She tutored me a couple of times."  
  
"Really?" Norville asks looking up with his bright brown eyes full of interest. His mother nods.  
  
"Like, wow!" the young boy exclaims as his parents chuckle as he loads his books into his backpack.  
  
"That's my boy!" his father cheers him as he and his wife leave the room. When she is nearly out the door, Shuggy stops for a moment looks over her son's apparel and says, "Wear a tie, Norville."  
  
"Has anyone seen my glasses?" a cry rings through the Dinkley household. "Harold, what in the world happened here?" Marilyn asks her husband who is rummaging around the living room with papers scattered all over the floor. "I don't know, I'm looking for my glasses." Mr. Dinkley replies, "I set them down somewhere while I rubbed my eyes." Mrs. Dinkley looks around her and exclaims, "This place looks like a pig sty." "Jinkies!" Velma exclaims as she enters the room, "This is worse that my laboratory!"  
  
"Oh, quit the chitter chatter and help you father look for his glasses." Marilyn scolds.  
  
"Oh!" Velma exclaims picking up a pair of wire frame glasses, "you mean these things?"  
  
"Where did you find them?" her father asks putting his glasses back on.  
  
"Right here on the table." Is the reply, "Anyway, are you two ready? Because Uncle Fritz and I are all ready to go."  
  
"You two go on ahead and wait in the car." Mrs. Dinkley replies.  
  
"Okay." Velma shrugs as she heads out the door with Fritz.  
  
"Honey, are you ready to go?" Mrs. Jones calls to her husband.  
  
"Just about, Darling." Mr. Jones replies. He then looks down at his shoes, displays a face of 'Why am I wearing these things?' and yells, "Honey, where did you put my good shoes?"  
  
"They're in the closet, dear." Is the reply.  
  
"Mom," Freddie asks as he enters the conversation, "which color ascot should I wear?"  
  
"Which ever you want, Freddie." Mrs. Jones replies.  
  
'Alright," Fred calls out fixing his ascot, "I'm all set. How about you guys?"  
  
"Your not finished." His mother contradicts. She takes a comb off her husband's dresser, waves it at her son and says, "Fix your hair."  
  
"Isn't that just the motherly instinct!" Mr. Jones chuckles.  
  
"And look at you, Frank Jones!" Mrs. Jones snaps back at her husband, "You don't even have your shoes on!"  
  
Fred suddenly seizes this opportunity to leave. "Uh..." he says, "I think I'll go warm up the car."  
  
"Mystery Machine." Frank corrects his son.  
  
"What?"  
  
"My car's in the shop." Explains his father.  
  
"Oh?" Freddie inquires, "what's wrong this time?"  
  
"Transmission." Is the reply.  
  
"Really dad," Fred tries to reason with his father, "haven't you ever thought of giving up that old Chevy?"  
  
"Are you kidding?!" Frank yells at his son, "That was the same car I proposed to your mother in! It's sentimental!"  
  
"Then why not keep it in the shed?"  
  
"Now listen to me!" Mr. Jones voice roars throughout the household, "I'm just a sentimental old fool who love to show off! Do you have any else to say?"  
  
"No! Nothing!" Fred quakes, "Forget I said anything. I'll go warm up the van." And quickly leaves.  
  
Over at Blake Manor, things are buzzing with excitement. The cocktail hour is full of laughter and little chitchat here and there. Suddenly, Brantford enters the room and announces, "Dinner is served."  
  
"Thank-you, Brantford" Mr. Blake says as they all move into the dining room.  
  
Once at the table, devouring their dinner of roast chicken; mashed potatoes; peas and carrots; and sweat potatoes, John Jackson asks, "So, Shaggy how is the mystery getting along?"  
  
Shaggy swallows hard. "Like, why do you ask?"  
  
"Norville said something about it getting very interesting." John replies sipping his drink.  
  
"Well," Fred joins in, "it is really something I don't think we should talk about it here."  
  
"Oh, come on." George Blake encourages them, "I'm sure we are all eager to know about your progress."  
  
The kids look at each other, not knowing how to respond.  
  
"Surly, you all must have some idea on who the culprit is." Frank Jones points out.  
  
"Sort of." A voice finally breaks the silence. Everyone turns to one end of the table where Velma is sitting. She had been quiet ever since her arrival and had not engaged into any conversation whatsoever.  
  
"What?" Fred asks.  
  
Velma quickly explains, "Over at Sarah's house I had found a photograph of her family."  
  
"Yes," Daphne says, becoming induced into the conversation, "what about it."  
  
"I don't know really." Velma replies, "Just something about her parents that seemed familiar to me."  
  
"Like, is that why we made a trip to the police station?" Shaggy inquires putting two and two together.  
  
"Exactly." The brunette replies.  
  
"What did you find?" Fred asks leaning forward.  
  
Velma looks at the faces around the table each one looking directly at her. Taking in a sip of her drink she simply states, "They've been dead for five years."  
  
"What happened?" Daphne asks out of mere curiosity.  
  
"Car accident." Velma replies, "They were driving on a narrow mountain road, it was late at night, lights went out for some reason, car came their way, and they swerved off the road."  
  
"Like, wow," Norville exclaims, "that must have been some accident!"  
  
After dinner, everyone leaves the dinning room into their own little groups. The fathers retire into the lounge for a drink and some of Mr. Blake's fine Cuban cigars. While the mothers left into another room; leaving the gang all alone with Norville. Freddie, being of a bored state peeps through a crack underneath the door of where his mother is talking.  
  
"What are they doing?" Daphne asks walking up to him.  
  
Fred turns around, leans his back against the door and sighs, "Mother's Night Out."  
  
"Awe man!" everyone else groans.  
  
"They better not ask us to, like, go to bed." Shaggy says crossing his arms.  
  
"Reah!" agrees Scooby doing the same as his master.  
  
"Huh?" a small little voice squeaks out amongst the gang's gloomy state.  
  
Everyone look at each other figuring that they should tell the boy about what his mother is doing.  
  
"You see," Fred begins putting his hands on the boy's shoulders, "Mother's Night Out is a club that Mrs. Blake started when the gang and I were kids. It evolved all the mothers in the neighborhood coming here to have some tea and talk about some local gossip."  
  
"But, like, I still don't understand what Uncle Shag means about going to bed." Little Norville speaks up.  
  
Daphne chuckles lightly and replies, "With our moms out and us being of the nature to run out of the house in the middle of the night to solve mysteries, our parents found it best for us to go to bed and stay out of trouble."  
  
Upon getting a complete understanding, little Norville just grins slightly.  
  
Being all alone, the gang decides to put the mystery on hold for a while and relax. They move to the library and each cuddle up in the chair with a good book and a light snack. All, that is, excluding Norville who is lying on the floor struggling with his math problems.  
  
"Like, I can't do it!" the boy yells out in frustration throwing his pencil to the floor.  
  
Shaggy looks up from his book upon hearing his little nephew's cry and asks, "Like, what is it?"  
  
"Multiplication." his nephew replies burying his face into his hands.  
  
Velma puts her book down and grins slightly. "If you think that is tough," she says, "wait till you start algebra."  
  
"Don't even go there, Velma Dinkley." Daphne warns her friend.  
  
"What?!" Velma calls back.  
  
"If multiplication is hard to understand to begin with, once they throw in those letters it's hard to tell what's going on." The red head explains.  
  
"Daphne," Fred says joining into the conversation, "the letters are just filler. They mean nothing."  
  
"Like, I don't understand." Norville cuts in.  
  
Velma instantly seizes this opportunity to hold a tutoring class. "Norville," she begins, "in your textbook do the questions contain blanks?"  
  
'You mean that line that I'm, like, suppose to write the answers on?" the boy asks, "Like, yeah."  
  
"Okay," Velma continues leaning back in her chair, "suppose that that line is a letter. All it does is represent the number that is the answer."  
  
"Could you please give me a demo?" Norville asks.  
  
The brunette smiles and replies, "Sure."  
  
Instantly, Norville picks up his stuff and moves closer to Velma. As she continues her lesson, the ringing of the hall phone can be heard. A few moments later, Brantford enters the room and announces, "Telephone for you, Miss Blake." "Thank-you, Brantford." Daphne acknowledges the butler, "I'll pick it up here." Instantly, Brantford leaves. Daphne walks over to the phone on a corner table and picks up the receiver. "Hello?" she greets the person at the other end. Everyone else listens suspiciously to the strange voice on the other end. It is harsh, husky and very hard to depict who the person on the other end is. The way that Daphne reacted to it, everyone else conclude that it isn't one of Daphne's friends. Velma and Fred look at each other and figure that something is drastically wrong.  
  
"Good-bye." Daphne finally says replacing the receiver back on the hook.  
  
"Who was it?" Freddie asks getting up from his chair.  
  
"I don't rightfully know." Is the reply.  
  
"Well, what did he say?" Velma asks trying to be helpful.  
  
"A lot of gibberish." Daphne replies, "Something about us returning to Sarah's house and some new information to be gathered."  
  
Velma frowns slightly.  
  
"What do you make of it?" Fred asks.  
  
"Like, there's only one way to find out." Shaggy calls out, "to go to the house—"  
  
"Capital idea, Shag." Fred applauds his friend.  
  
'—like, in the morning." Continues Shaggy.  
  
"Why?" Fred asks.  
  
"Because," Shaggy explains, "there is, like, a killer on the loose as well as a ghost."  
  
"Reah, reah!" barks Scooby trying to backup Shaggy's proposal.  
  
"And?" everyone asks in unison.  
  
"Like, we could be next!" Shaggy yells out startling Scooby.  
  
"Relax, Shaggy." Fred comforts putting his hand on Shaggy's shoulder, "Everything will be fine. Trust me."  
  
Later as the Mystery Machine pulls up at Sarah's house, Shaggy's thought on the situation has not changed.  
  
"Oh, come on, Uncle Shag." Little Norville encourages his uncle, "Like, think of me. It is, like, very rarely that I visit here while you're on a mystery. Like, can't I at least see my uncle in action?"  
  
Shaggy looks down at the boy's bright brown eyes, which sparkle in a way of almost saying 'please do it for me'. Shaggy smiles and finally replies, "Like, sure, Lil' Shag." Norville then hugs his uncle out of sheer gratitude.  
  
As they enter the house, the gang looks around them. Being late at night, the house is very dark and eerie.  
  
"Like, I wonder if there is anything in the kitchen." Shaggy finally breaks the stillness of he night.  
  
"Like, groovy!" Norville exclaims as he enters the kitchen, "There's, like, some lasagna waiting for us!"  
  
"Rummy!" Scooby choruses out licking his chops.  
  
Everyone grins as the two Shaggys and Scooby dig into the pasta. "You know," Shaggy says cutting himself a piece, "I may be a dog person but I have to agree with that Garfield cat—lasagna has, like, got to be one of the best foods ever!"  
  
"Reah, reah! Rehehehehehehe" Scooby agrees, "Rhe rest!"  
  
"Hey!" Shaggy exclaims pulling sheets of paper out of the dish, "Like, what kind of gag is this?" He looks at the scraps of paper. "Zoinks! It's, like, a will!" he finally says.  
  
"What?" everyone asks in unison.  
  
Norville grabs the paper from his uncles hands and begins to read, "I, Catherine Smith, being of a sound and peaceful mind hereby—"  
  
"What's the matter?" Daphne asks.  
  
"It's, like, impossible to read." The boy replies, "The ink is, like, smudged."  
  
The silence of the house is broken once again by a knock at the front door thus making everyone jump.  
  
"I wonder who that could be." Fred says as he leaves to go answer it.  
  
Everyone walks after Fred to the coat room and hear a young woman exclaim, "Oh, thank goodness you're here. I thought that I would have to wait for you a while."  
  
Norville, recognizing the voice instantly greets the woman, "Hello, Miss Bowers!"  
  
"Hello, Norville." The woman responds to the boy's warm welcome, "Oh, pardon me." She says returning to the gang, "My name is Susie Bowers. I work at Smith's Household Products."  
  
Fred smiles politely and says, "Won't you please come in?"  
  
"Thank-you." Susie responds entering. Once inside, she paces back and forth as if she is frustrated with something. She finally stops and faces the gang. "I don't really know how to tell you this," she finally says, "but I must tell you all that I know."  
  
"About what?" Velma inquires.  
  
"About Miss Smith's death." Susie replies approaching them. "I can't go to the police because they won't believe me. But since you believe that Miss Smith was murdered, I know that you will take me seriously."  
  
Studying the gang's confused faces, Susie decides that she should get straight to the point. "You see," she explains stepping closer to them, "I know who the murder is."  
  
Instantly, four gunshots ring out through the night. Susie leans forward falling into Freddie's arms. Fred begins to feel a gooey substance coming out of her back. He lifts his hand to reveal blood all over his palm. "Guys, help me, she's been shot." Freddie calls to his companions. They instantly get together and lay Susie on the floor. Susie, still in consciousness mutters, "It was...she...who fired...those shots."  
  
"Who?" Velma asks grabbing one of Susie's hands, "Who is she?"  
  
Daphne places a cold washcloth on to Susie's head as she replies, "The...murderer is—" and trials off and her muscles retract. Velma quickly feels for a pulse then looks up at Daphne. No words had to be said for through the terror revealed in Velma's eyes, the others know what has just happened.


	9. Meeting Inspector Quince

"All right, boys." Sam says as the photographers leave, "You can take her away now."

The paramedics place Susie's body on a stretcher and take her out the door to an ambulance outside. Sam looks over at the gang who are sitting at one end of the room each trying to convince themselves that it was all one big horrible dream. He walks over to Velma and looks down at her. "Velma," he says sitting next to her, "are you okay?" The girl takes in a deep breath and sighs, "I don't know. It's...it's just the way that her eyes looked at me when she died...like that of great fear. I wanted to close them but..."

"You just couldn't bring yourself to touch a corps?" Sam tries to finish.

Velma just nods and replies, "Yeah, I suppose you could put it that way." She glances over to the chair in which Norville is sitting. Sam follows her eyes and sees the boy staring down at his feet and, by the expression on his face, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Poor kid." Sam finally emphasizes, "He's too young to experience a thing like this—a woman murdered, shot down like a dog, before his very eyes."

"Yes," Velma agrees as Shaggy walks up to his nephew and gives him a hug, "he is a bit young to comprehend a thing like this...but then, in a sense, aren't we all?" She gets up and walks up to Shaggy and his nephew. "Are you feeling better, Norville?" she asks the boy.

Norville just nods slightly. He then lifts his head and fixes his eyes on a pool of blood on the floor. His face turns pale as if he was going to feel sick in his stomach. Fred notices this, walks up with Daphne and places his hand on Shaggy's shoulder. "Why don't you take Norville to the Mystery Machine, Shag." He says, "I'm sure he will feel better there." Shaggy nods in agreement. "Come on, Norville." He says lifting his little nephew, "Let's go wait in the van." As he leaves the room, he turns to the rest of the gang and says, "We'll, like, see you guy's later." He then whispers to himself, "Like, I had a feeling something like this was going to happen. 'Trust me' he says...oh boy!" And with that, leaves with Scooby at his heels.

Sam approaches the remainder of the gang. "Uh," he begins in a slightly hesitant manner, "I guess I owe you guys an apology. I'm sorry for not believing you earlier."

Daphne, Fred and Velma look at each other not knowing what to say.

"I would suppose that verdict is now murder, right?" Fred asks.

"Yeah." The Sheriff replies, "There will probably be another inquest in the morning."

"Hey, Sam!" an officer calls out from one end of the room, "Look what I found!" The officer walks forward with a little bundle wrapped in a handkerchief. As he unwraps it, everyone can see that it is a small pistil.

"Hey!" Sam says taking a closer look at the gun, "This is the same gun you found, Velma. So that's where it got to." "You lost it?" Fred asks. "No, not exactly." The sheriff replies, "It was just snatched off my desk earlier." Sam's train of thought is interrupted when the sound of a car is heard parking in front of the house. The car door is opened and someone is heard coming to the door.

"I'm sorry, sir," an officer says to the man, "But no unauthorized personal allowed inside."

"I am authorized personal." The man speaks up.

"Oh," the officer replies, "I'm sorry, chief. I didn't recognize you with your dinner clothes on. Uh, please come in."

"Thank-you." The man says as he enters the house.

"Rogers!" Sam greets the old man.

"Hi, Mr. Rogers." The gang greets Shaggy's dad.

"Hey, kids." The chief replies. He then looks around the room and asks, "Where's Shaggy?"

"He's in the Mystery Machine with Norville." Fred replies, "What are you doing here?"

"I got a call over at Blake's house." Chief Inspector Rogers replies, "Something about a murder happening here."

"You got that right." Daphne says.

"Sam!" a voice can be heard coming from the basement steps. Everyone turns to see a young officer holding what appear to be plastic bags.

"What's that you got there, Pat?" the Sheriff asks.

"Remember that call you got yesterday from the blood bank reporting a burglary?" Pat asks.

"Yeah, what about it?" Mr. Rogers asks.

"Well, this may shed some light on what happened to the blood." Pat explains.

"Where did you find that?" Velma asks.

"In the basement near the water main." Is the reply.

"That would explain last night, then." Fred figures.

"Huh?" Sam and Mr. Rogers ask.

"There was blood flowing out of the faucets last night." Velma explains. Daphne displays a face of disgust. "Please don't remind me!" she exclaims.

"And this was last night?" Mr. Rogers asks.

"Yep." Fred replies.

"You know," Velma comments, "the deeper we go into this mystery, the more this ghost seems more fake."

"I think your right, Velma." Daphne says, "Sam, I received a phone call at least an hour ago. Would you be able to trace it?"

"I'll ask some boys to give it a try." Sam replies.

"Sam," Velma says beginning a train of thought, "do you know who Ms. Smith's lawyer is?"

"Not off the top of my head," is the reply, "but I can find out for you."

"Thanks." Velma smiles.

There is silence for a brief moment, which is broken by the officer at the door saying, "Come in, inspector. We've been expecting you." Moments later, a middle-aged man enters the room. He is tall, with a slender built his hair is that of a dark brown and he bares a slight mustache. He is wearing a hunter's hat, blue jeans, and a checkered jacket open slightly at the collar revealing his pajama top. "About time you got here, Quince." Sam greets the inspector. "Yes, well, terribly sorry about that." Quince explains, "But I was staying with some relatives and it took them a while to reach me."

Velma looks over the man and comments, "I see that you left your home in a rush, Inspector Quince." "Why, yes." The inspector responds, "I'm sorry for the way that I'm dressed. I guess that gives it away quite quickly."

"Oh, there's a quicker way than that." Velma says.

"Oh?" Quince asks in surprise, "What's that."

"The fact that you're wearing slippers instead of shoes." Velma points out.

"Oh...Ha ha ha." Inspector Quince blushes. He quickly looks around the room to find a way to change the subject. His eye quickly glance the blood on the floor and he grabs his chance. "What a bloody mess." He comments.

"Yeah," Fred responds, "I suppose you could call it that."

"Oh, Quince, I'm sorry." Sam says to the inspector, "Allow me to introduce you to the notorious Mystery Inc." Pointing out Sam continues, "This is Daphne, Velma and Fred."

"Isn't there another boy and a dog?" Quince asks.

"Yes." Chief Rogers replies, "My son and Scooby. They are in their van."

"Nice to meet you." Fred smiles extending his hand. However, he forgot earlier to wipe the blood off his hand. So, then extending his hand, he reveals it on his palm. Inspector Quince looks at Fred's hand. "OH!" Fred exclaims slightly embarrassed, "I'm sorry." He quickly pulls out a Kleenex and is going to wipe it off, but Inspector Quince yells out "Don't! Wait! You'll destroy the evidence!" He instantly puts handcuffs on Freddie's wrists.

"Hey!" Fred cries out, "What's going on?"

"Here is your murderer, Sam." Quince says ignoring Fred's question. "Place him and book him."

"I don't understand!" Fred tries again.

"Caught you red-handed, my boy." Quince explains pointing out Fred's hand.

"But..." Fred protests.

"You have the right to remain silent." The inspector continues. "I must remind you that anything you say, or do can, and will, be used as evidence against you."

"Nock it off, Quince." Sam cuts in, "We happen to know that the murder is a woman. Now how about you take those handcuffs off Fred and get some sleuthing done."

The inspector just grunts and reluctantly removes the handcuffs from Fred.

"Don't mind Quince too much." Mr. Rogers explains as the inspector walks away, "He just likes to solve mysteries the old fashioned way."

"I wouldn't exactly call catching a guy literally red-handed the 'old-fashioned' way." Velma comments producing a roar of laughter from her companions.

"So! Where were you on the night of the murder?" a voice comes from behind them making them jump. They turn around to see Inspector Quince his clothing had changed due to the fact that he had turned his coat inside out, thus making it look like a trench coat and had put on a scarf. "Early Halloween costume, Inspector?" Sam asks.

"Is it just me, or is that Sherlock Holmes?" Fred asks his female companions.

"Neh." Velma replies, "He's too old to be Sherlock. I'd say he's Mycroft."

"Are you kidding?" Daphne blabbers out, "With clothes like that, how can you even make-out what he's dressed as?"

"You have to use your imagination, Daph." Velma replies.

"I think Daphne's got a point there, Velma." Fred chuckles, "With brains like his, it is pretty hard!" He instantly begins to go into full laughter. Velma and Daphne, however, do not find it funny. "FREDDIE!" the both scold.

"Where were you on the night of the murder?" Quince asks again pressing his magnifying glass into the gang's faces.

"Will you please do your job seriously!" Sam yells.

Quince makes a face of disgust and begins to walk around the room viewing everything closely through his glass.

"Is this the best detective on the force?" Fred asks Chief Inspector Rogers.

"He's the only one who is the closest to town." Is the reply.

"Huh?"

"All the rest are on holiday or on another case." Is the explanation.

"Oh.

"Sheriff!" Inspector Quince calls out from an open window, "Come here quick!

"What is it?" Sam asks walking forward.

"There are footprints right out here." Explains Quince.

The sheriff frowns in deep thought. He then turns to the gang. "Was this window open when you guys arrived?" he asks.

"No." is the reply.

"But how could the window be open from the outside?" Daphne thinks aloud.

"Crowbar?" Fred replies.

"No way, Fred." Velma contradicts examining the area, "There are no marks of prying of any kind of tool."

"What does that prove?" Quince demands.

"Simple," Fred explains, "that the window was opened from the inside."

"But how could the murderer have gotten in to begin with?" Mr. Rogers inquires.

"Sarah keeps keys under the doormat." Daphne replies, "They aren't really that hard to find."

"Sarah?" Inspector Quince inquires, "Sarah who?"

"Maclbe." Is the reply.

"Is she the owner of the house?" Quince asks.

"Yes."

"Where is she now?"

"At a hotel."

"Which one?"

The gang just shrugs.

"Like, are you guys coming?" Shaggy asks as he comes in the door, "We're, like, getting tired of waiting out here."

Inspector Quince walks up to Shaggy, looks him squarely in the eye and states, "No one is leaving the facility unless I say so." And with that, he walks off.

Shaggy looks over the inspector's clothes and asks Fred, "Like, who was that man—Inspector Clouseau?"

"Nope." Fred replies, "Inspector Quince."

"Really?" Shaggy jokes, "He looks like he should be in the Pink Panther!" Upon which, he and Fred chuckle lightly.

"Rey, Raggy!" a voice from outside barks.

"Like, what is it Scoob?" Shaggy calls back.

Scooby comes in with little Norville in his arms. "Rorvilles rasleep." He replies. "You see?" Shaggy points out, "We're, like, getting tired."

"For the last and final time," Inspector Quince yells out, "NO ONE IS LEAVING THE BUILDING UNLESS I GIVE THE OKAY!"

Norville stirs a bit. He slowly opens his eyes and looks at the inspector. "Is that, like, Inspector Clouseau?" he asks.

"My name is Quince." The inspector responds.

"If only he had a beard growing," Velma whispers to Daphne, "I'd say he was Freddie the Freeloader." The two girls giggle lightly.

"I suppose you kids would like to leave now, huh?" Mr. Rogers asks.

The gang nods in unison. "You can go ahead and go home now." Sam says, "It is getting late and I suppose you guys would like some time to recover from this trauma."

"Now just see here, Sheriff," Quince objects. However, he is calmed down my Mr. Rogers and eventually gives in. "Okay," the inspector sighs in defeat. He then turns on a more serious note, which sounds more like a threat, "but don't leave town."

"There really is no reason for us to." Fred assures him as he heads out the door. "Like, that may be true for you Fred," Shaggy contradicts, "but, like, certainly not for me."

"Oh?" inquires Fred, "And why is that?"

"Cause', like, there's a killer on the loose!" Shaggy exclaims.

"Reah!" Scooby barks in agreement, "Ri'll ro rith rat!"

"Oh, come on you two." Daphne sighs as she pulls Scooby and Shaggy to the Mystery Machine.

As they are driving off, Shaggy exclaims, "Like, that Quince chap is some character, huh?"

"I'd say!" Fred agrees.

"What do you think, Fred:" Daphne asks, "Does Inspector Quince look more like Freddie the Freeloader or Inspector Clouseau?"

"Are you two girls still doing that thing?" Fred asks.

Velma and Daphne nod.

"Like, why?" Norville inquires.

Velma rests her elbow on the passenger-side door, places her chin in her palm and replies, "We got bored after a while." The girls blush as everyone laughs.

"Like, I sure hope he isn't Clouseau." Shaggy finally says.

"Why is that, Shag?" Fred asks.

"If we, like, get stuck working with him," Shaggy responds, "Things may not be pretty."

"Huh?" everyone asks in unison.

"Like, don't you remember what he did to Chief Inspector Dreyfus?" Shaggy answers.

Everyone laughs as they drive into the night.

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Norville awakes the next morning to find himself in his uncle's room in his bed. He sits up and begins to rub his eyes. "Like, what a night." He says to himself. He quickly jumps out of bed and gets dressed. As he brushes his hair, the door to the room is opened slightly and in jumps Scooby, who jumps on the boy thus messing up his hair again. "Like, morning, Scoob!" Norville exclaims as he scratches the Great Dane between the ears. "Is breakfast ready yet?" Scooby sits up strait and burps, "Rit ras."

"Huh?" Norville asks, "Hey, you, like, ate it all?!"

"Rust Ridding!" Scooby smiles.

The boy chuckles slightly to Scooby's little joke as they both head down to the dinning room.

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"Velma," Mrs. Dinkley calls from the bedroom door, "telephone for you."

Velma stirs slightly and asks sleepily, "Who is it?"

"Sam." Is the reply.

Velma instantly awakes, grabs her glasses off her bedside table and the receiver from the nearby phone. "Morning, Sam!" she greets the caller. "Morning." The sheriff replies, "Velma," he says in a little more serious voice, "I have the name of that lawyer you wanted. Do you have paper and pen ready?" "Just a sec." replies Velma. She quickly grabs a pencil and notepad off the table. "Ready." She finally says. "Okay." Sam begins, "Mr. Jonathan H. Parker." Velma quickly writes it down. "Do you also have the address?" she asks. Sam quickly shuffles a few papers around then responds, "Suit 853 Walkerson Towers, 28937 Main Street, Sandusky."

"It's out of town?"

"Yes," is the reply, "it appears that she once lived there."

Velma finally says, "Thanks a lot, Sam."

"My pleasure." The man replies and hangs up.

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"Daphne?" Mrs. Blake's voice calls in her daughter's bedroom. "Honey?" she calls again. A groan echoes throughout the room. Mrs. Blake looks in the direction of Daphne's bed. Daphne is still in it with the covers pulled over her head. "Daphne, come on." Her mother urges, "Breakfast is ready and getting cold."

"I'm not hungry." Daphne groans in a sleepy voice turning away from her mother.

"Darling, you must eat something." Mrs. Blake tries again.

"Mom." Daphne snaps kicking the covers off, "After what I saw last night, my stomach just went on a vacation."

"I can understand that." Her mother says approaching her daughter, "But surly, you must eat something."

Daphne rolls on her back and stares at the ceiling for a while. Her stomach begins to growl. She gives a slight grin. "Maybe I am a bit hungry." she finally gives in.

"That's a good girl." Applauds Mrs. Blake. She picks up Daphne's robe off the foot of the bed and hands it to her daughter as they both head downstairs.

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"Uncle Shag," Norville asks his uncle at the breakfast table.

"Hmm?" Shaggy answers between gulps.

"You said something last night," the boy starts, "about you having a feeling that something was going to happen. How did you, like, know?"

Shaggy sips down some of his milk then replies "Have you, like, ever heard of something called 'listening to your gut'?"

"Yeah." Answers Norville, "but I don't, like, exactly know what it means."

Shaggy sits up and grins slightly, "It's when something inside of you tells you something."

"Like what?" his nephew asks.

"It can be all sorts of things." Is the reply, "Usually it is something of the, like, up most importance."

Norville ponders on this for a while, but his train of thought is interrupted by the sound of his stomach rumbling. The boy looks at his uncle and chuckles, "Like, I think my gut is yelling out to me something."

"Oh?" Shaggy asks looking up, "And, like, what exactly is that?"

"I'm, like, hungry!" Norville replies, "Pass me some of that toast!"

A few moments later, the phone rings throughout the household. Mr. Rogers walks to the hall phone and answers it. "Hello?" he greets the caller, "Oh, good morning, Freddie!...Yes, he's here...All right, just a moment." The man puts the phone down and approaches the dinning room. "Shaggy," he says, "it's Fred. He wants to talk to you." Shaggy quickly excuses himself and runs to answer the phone. "Like, hi, Fred!" He calls joyfully, "Like, sure, I'll be ready...Like, see ya later." And hangs up. Upon returning to the table, Shaggy is asked, "What did Freddie want?" He quickly finishes his meal and replies, "He just wanted to know if I was, like, ready. He'll be picking me up shortly." Moments later, the sound of the Mystery Machine can be heard stopping right out side the Rogers residence. Shaggy quickly arises from the table and grabs his coat. Scooby quickly follows his master to the door. "We'll, like, see you later." Shaggy calls out.

"Morning!" Shaggy cheers as he and Scooby enter the van.

"Did you two sleep well?" Daphne, who Fred had picked up just earlier, inquires in an attempt in engage into pleasant conversation.

"Like, I suppose you could put it that way." Shaggy responds as Fred drives off, "Right, Scoob?"

The Great Dane just yawns, "Ruh-huh." stretching his back and laying down comfortably on the floor.

"Like, where are we going?" Shaggy asks.

"Velma's." replies Fred, "She called me earlier saying something about a little trip for Daph and me."

"Oh."

Moments later, Fred pulls the Mystery Machine up in Velma's driveway. Velma instantly walks out to greet them. "Hey, Dumpster!" Freddie teases playfully. Ever since he gave her that nickname, Velmster, the rest of the gang had been playfully joking that it sounded more like 'dumpster'—especially if one mispronounces it. Velma had long since been used to the mispronouncing of her name. Just recently, someone had mispronounced 'Dinkley' and addressed her as 'Ms. Dinky'.

"Morning, Fred." Velma smiles back.

"So," Freddie asks turning onto a serious note, "What's this little journey you have for Daph and me?" Velma hands him a piece of paper. Fred looks at it. "That is the name and address of Ms. Smith's lawyer." Velma explains. "It's in Sandusky!" Fred exclaims. "You have a problem with that?" inquires Velma.

"It's more than an hour's drive." The blond replies.

"Three hours to be exact." He is corrected.

"The drive will take nearly half a day!" Daphne jumps in, "And car trips like that totally kill my hair!"

Velma just rolls her eyes, "Honestly Daph, just for once, can you not worry about your hair?"

"Are you kidding?!" the red head exclaims.

"Like, cool it, Daph." Shaggy says in and attempt to calm the girl down.

"But, why can't you go?" Fred asks Velma.

"I some things to attend to here." The brunette replies, "Anyway, Daphne has a way of dealing with lawyers, which is what we are in desperate need of."

"Huh?" Shaggy asks.

"Of coarse!" Fred smiles, "They can't read the will until after the funeral."

"Exactly!" Velma conforms, "Daphne, was Sam able to trace that call?" "Yes." The other girl replies, "I have it written down somewhere." She begins to rummage through her purse and pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Velma. "Besides, Fred" Velma continues, "this leaves you to six full hours alone—just you and Daphne."

Upon hearing this, the blond man's bright blue eyes fully open and a smile grows on his face. Velma notices this as well as Scooby and Shaggy as they exit the van. Fred looks at Daphne and turns to Velma and declares, "We'll see you in six hours." And pulls out of the driveway.

"Like, I don't know about you," Shaggy says as he and Scooby enter Velma's car, "but, like, I didn't like the smile on Fred's face as he left." "If you're thinking about that 's' word," Velma responds placing her laptop next to her seat, "you can forget about it. Fred's not the sort of person to do that." She pauses for a moment. "Then again..." She ponders. She looks at Shaggy and he looks at her. "Neh." They conclude.

"How's Norville doing?" Velma asks.

"He's still, like, feeling a little sick in his stomach." Shaggy replies.

"Poor kid." Velma sympathizes.

"Like, where are we going?" Shaggy asks as Velma pulls out.

"Sarah's house." Is the reply resulting in a low whimper from Scooby. "Like, no way!" yells Shaggy.

"Why?"

"'Cause there's, like, a killer on the loose!" answers Shaggy and Scooby nods in agreement. "Like, I tried to tell Fred." Shaggy continues, "Trust me' he said and this is what happened. Who does he think he is—Indiana Jones?"

"The surname does fit him perfectly." Velma chuckles.

"Are you trying to be funny?" Shaggy asks struggling to sound serious, however, he is not very good at it for moments later a broad smile unfolds on his face.

A few moments later, Velma pulls into Sarah's driveway.

"Are you two coming?" She asks as she exits the vehicle.

"Yeah." Replies Shaggy, "But, like, just for a moment. I, like, want to see if that lasagna is still there."

"Reah!" Scooby barks jumping out of the car.

"I had forgotten about that." Velma says as they enter the house. There is still blood on the floor from where Susie was shot down the previous night.

"So, like, what are we doing here?" Shaggy finally asks.

Velma turns to him and holds up the photograph of Sarah's family. "I'm just retuning this to the photo album." She replies, "There is no real need for it since I scanned it into my computer last night."

"Rey, Raggy!" Scooby barks from the kitchen, "rhe rasagna's rill rere!"

Shaggy just laughs, "Looks like Clouseau didn't go through this place with a fine-tooth comb!"

"Is that your new nick-name for Inspector Quince?" inquires Velma.

"Actually, it's Lil' Shag's." Shaggy responds as Velma chuckles lightly as she heads off to the den.

As Velma places the picture back into the album, she can hear what appears to be a fight in the kitchen. "Must be Scooby and Shaggy fighting over something." She thinks to herself. A moment later, footsteps are heard entering the room. However, she thinks nothing of it figuring that it maybe Shaggy coming down.

"What are you doing here?" A voice comes from the bottom of the stairs. Velma, not recognizing the voice, spins around to find a tall slender woman in her early thirties, hands on her hips, looking straight at her.

"Returning a photo." Velma replies in a shaky voice.

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A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, but I was having computer problems. Hopfully, I'll update the next chapter sooner. Keep on reviewing!


	10. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

"Who are you?" the woman asks.

"Velma Dinkley." is the reply, "From Mystery Inc?"

The woman looks at her with a side-glance. "Am I supposed to know you?" she asks.

"Don't worry if you don't." Velma replies, "Most people don't know me by name anyway."

"Well, who ever you are," the woman blabbers, "you just take a seat right there on the couch while I call the police."

"I don't think that is entirely necessary…" Velma says stepping towards the woman.

"You get right back there!" the woman scolds pulling a gun out from her pocket.

"On second thought," Velma retreats returning to the couch, "maybe we should let the police deal with this."

"Good. Now you just stay right there." Orders the woman as she walks toward the nearest telephone, which is on the hall table. As she picks up the receiver and begins to dial, she is interrupted by voices from the top of the stairs.

"Like, don't push me so hard, Scoob!" Shaggy calls to his dog.

"Rorry." Apologizes the Great Dane. Unfortunately, his master does not notice that he is standing on Scooby's tail. Scooby feels a sudden impulse of pain and yells; thus, throwing poor Shaggy off balance. Shaggy falls down the stairs pulling Scooby behind him. The two reach at the bottom landing on top of the mystery woman. She pulls the trigger on her little gun. No noise is heard except for that of a slight squirt.

Velma looks around for a bullet somewhere. She then notices a wet substance on the back of her seat. She looks at it. It is water. "A water pistol!" she exclaims, "You held me up with a _water pistol_?! That is so lame!" She looks at the pathetic woman pinned under Scooby and Shaggy. Shaggy had somehow gotten hold of the receiver and is holding it up to his ear.

"Police Department." A voice comes from the other end.

"Like, sorry," Shaggy answers, "wrong number." He then gets up to replace the receiver back on the hook. After doing so, his eyes get big realizing the previous circumstance. "Police Department?!" he echoes.

"Yes." The woman replies getting up from under Scooby, "I was going to have you all put under arrest for breaking and entry."

"But we are here under permission." Contradicts Shaggy.

"What?"

"That was what I was trying to tell you." Continues Velma.

"Who gave you permission?" demands the woman.

"The owner of the house." Is the reply.

"You knew my sister?" a cry of joy comes from the woman.

"Like, Sarah Maclbe is your sister?" inquires Shaggy.

"Yes!" is the reply, "Well, she was."

"Was?" the others ask in unison.

"What's your name?" Velma asks.

"Joni."

"But, like," Shaggy cuts in, "what do you mean by she _was_ your sister?"

"She died." Is the reply, "Four months ago in a plane crash."

"Jinkies!" exclaims Velma as Scooby, and Shaggy look at each other.

"I came here to pack up her belongings." Continues Joni.

"But that's impossible!" exclaims Velma, "We just talked to her two days ago."

Joni looks at the other woman in a funny way. "Are you sure you are talking about _my_ sister?" she asks.

"Well," begins Shaggy, "she, like, calls herself Sarah Maclbe."

"We received a call from her a few days ago." Velma explains further, "She wanted us to check up on the haunting around here."

"Haunting?" Joni asks confused, "What sort of haunting?"

"Like, some dead woman's ghost!" exclaims Shaggy, "It's so scary, I can't even go into details!"

"Joni," Velma says holding up the photograph, which she was going to put away, "I know this is a bit old, but do you at all recognize any of the people in this picture?"

Joni takes a good hard look at the picture. She takes it from Velma's hand and holds it up to the light as to see better. A few moments later, she hands it back to Velma and replies, "Nope. I have never seen those people before in my life."

Velma sighs, "Well, that basically takes us back to square one."

"However…" Joni says in deep thought, "May I see that picture again?"

"Good afternoon, Mister Jones, Miss Blake." Jonathan Parker greets as Fred and Daphne enter his office."

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Jonathan Parker is an elderly man who has been practicing law for quite a number of years. His reputation of always getting what his client wants has made him one of the most highly honored lawyers in the business and his name well known amongst the upper class citizens. He is about the average height of a normal person and a bit on the plump side. He is wearing his typical, everyday navy blue suit and tie. In his youth, Parker had wonderful chestnut brown hair, but now, it is dark brown with a few patches of white and gray appearing here and there.

"Thanks for taking us on such short notice, Mister Parker." Fred says shaking the lawyer's hand.

"The pleasure is mine." The elder gentleman replies, "It's not often that I am visited by such famous detectives."

Fred and Daphne look at each other and blush at the remark. Jonathan, noticing this, offers them as seat, which they quickly do. "So," Parker says, taking his own seat and sitting back, "what did you come to see me about."

The two young people look at each other not knowing how put their question. Fred takes in a deep breath and simply states, "We were wondering if you could…well…" He moves about in his chair to give him more time to paraphrase his thoughts. "Well," he continues, "it you could tell us the details of Miss Smith's will."

"Well," Mister Parker says scratching his chin, "you know it isn't proper to read a person's will until after the funeral. And there are very few times in which there is actually an exception."

"We understand, sir." Daphne replies.

"May I ask why you need this information?" Parker continues.

"We have a feeling that one of the motives of her murder may be linked to the will." Is the reply.

"I see." Jonathan says taking in a deep breath.

"Mister Parker," Freddie asks, "is there something the matter?"

"I do not have the document on me at the moment." The lawyer replies.

"Where is it?" inquires Daphne.

"That, I do not know."

"What do you mean?" asks Fred.

"It was stolen from my office." Is the reply.

"When?" asks Fred stiffening up in his seat.

"About two weeks ago."

"How many wills has Miss Smith written up?" inquires Daphne.

"Three or four; four or five." Mister Parker shrugs, "At least somewhere around there."

"Do you have them?" Fred asks.

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"So, like, it appears, that who we know to be Sarah Maclbe was really a friend of the real Sarah Maclbe?" Shaggy asks putting all his thoughts together as he and Velma drive to the address as which the phone call to Daphne was traced. "It sure seems that way." Velma answers tuning at a corner. "Rhat's ronfusing!" Exclaims Scooby from the back seat. "Like, I know, old buddy" agrees Shaggy, "But at least we know for sure that Sarah was related to Miss Smith."

"Yes." Says Velma, "And the will should help in clearing up that part." The car drives down the narrow streets in the outskirts of town. A few minutes later, they come across several blocks of nothing but apartment buildings.

Velma leans back in her seat and looks at the landscape before her. She smiles slightly and says, "You know, it's hard to believe that at one point this was nothing but a barren swamp." "Like, I know." Agrees Shaggy. "Hey, do you remember the mystery we solved here back when we were kids?" Velma throws her head back and laughs, "How could I forget? Freddie and his fishing trips. You know, for the longest time I thought I would never forgive him for driving us out to the swamp saying that is was a short cut."

"Yeah." Smiles Shaggy, "It was rather a crazy thought that _that_ could be a short cut to anywhere." Velma chuckles, "But then, the mystery made up for it." "Yeah." Agrees Shaggy, "I quite enjoyed it"

"Are you kidding?" Velma exclaims, giving him the 'I don't believe you' look, "You were scared out of your wits! Like all ways." A "Rehehehehehehehe!" is heard from the back seat. "What you are referring to," Shaggy defends himself, "is my strategy." "What?" jokes Velma, "Chicken Out'? Face it, Shaggy, you're always scared when it comes to a spooky mystery and that time was no exception."

"Yeah?" Shaggy comes back, "You weren't so brave yourself, like, when that zombie showed up and that witch made Daphne disappear into thin air!" "Okay," admits Velma, "maybe I was a little concerned there but the search was what made that enjoyable." "Like, I found finding that armored car in the mud more enjoyable that that." Shaggy replies. "It wasn't as nearly as fascinating as those voodoo dolls." Velma says, "Imagine, constructing dolls that look just like us in a short amount of time." "So they were handy men." Shrugs Shaggy, "So what?" "It takes quite a while to construct an object that has the exact likeness of a person you just met a few minutes ago." Exclaims Velma, "Therefore, which one of the two did them had to be good with crafts."

Scooby, who at this point was getting pretty bored with the conversation, looks around the car trying to find something to do. He looks at the front seat and his brown eyes glance at the address of their destination. Upon memorizing it, he glances around to see if they were any where close to the place. His keen eyes instantly spot the place. "Raggy." He says tapping his master's shoulder lightly. However, Shaggy doesn't notice because he and Velma are still having their little debate. "Relma." Scooby tries this time tapping a little bit harder on the shoulder. With no success, Scooby tries to tug on Shaggy's shirt. Still no reaction. In utter despair and no other alternative, the Great Dane sits up strait on the seat and lets out a long howl. This method proves to be successful.

"Like, what is it, Scoob?" Shaggy says looking over the back of his seat to the dog in the back. "Ri round rhe race!" Barks Scooby happily. "You mean the address on this paper?" asks Shaggy.

"Reah!" is the reply.

"Where Scooby?" asks Velma.

"Right rover rhere." Scooby points in the direction of a fairly modern, yet poorly maintained building. "Good work, Scooby." Praises Velma as she places the car into gear and drives into the parking lot.

Upon parking, the three emerge from the car. They then walk towards the building's main entrance. On the way, they pass by a beat up old Ford. "Like, look there, Scoob!" Shaggy says pointing to the car, "That is a really beat up car if I ever saw one!" "Reah!" barks Scooby in agreement, "Really reat rup!" "It's in worse shape than your room!" Velma jokes. "You know," Shaggy says in deep thought, "You're right! But I doubt that is it is so bad that would fall apart if something bang into it."

"I bet it would!" Velma replies.

"Really?' Asks Shaggy, "How much?"

"That was just a figure of speech, Shag." Velma frowns.

"Like, I knew that!" Shaggy exclaims as Velma gives him an 'oh you did not' face. "Alright, alright," Shaggy gives in, "so I didn't. But I'll just hit it and prove my point."

"I didn't even know you had a point." Says Velma.

"Whatever." Shaggy says raising his hands. He walks over to the rear of the car and gives a good smack down onto the trunk. Instantly, the hubcaps, lights, and bumpers fall to the ground; the car doors open; the hood pops up; the horn beeps; and the rear window and windshield crack.

"Oops!" Shaggy quirks observing what he had just done.

"Ret's ret rout rof rhere!" Scooby exclaims turning to the building and running.

"Like, wait for me, ol' buddy!" Shaggy calls out to the running Great Dane pulling Velma behind him.

Once they reach the door, they all breathe a sigh of relief. "Like, it was a good thing no one saw us." Shaggy pants.

"I suppose that is a good thing for you, Shaggy." Agrees Velma, "But the owner of that car, if he ever finds out you did it, may charge you with vandalism."

"Why vandalism?" Jokes Shaggy, "It's not a van, it a car. Therefore, wouldn't it me 'cardalism'?" Scooby and Velma laugh. Then Scooby stops, looks at Velma and Shaggy then utters, "Ri ron't ret rit."

"Come on, guys." Velma says opening the door, "we better get in, it's chilly out here."

"Like, we're right behind you, Velma." Shaggy says.

Just then, a man exits the door. Shaggy, recognizing him, calls out, "Good afternoon, Inspector!" Inspector Quince turns to face his greeter. He then smiles, "Oh, good afternoon, Shaggy. I'm sorry I can't talk long but I must be on my way." With that he leaves. "Well have a nice day!" Shaggy calls back. As Shaggy closes the door, they can hear Inspector Quince cry out, "Dude! what happened to my car?!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Here you go." Mister Parker says dumping four documents onto his desk, "These are all the wills that Miss Smith has written with us since 1980."

"1980." echoes Daphne, "That's a long time."

Jonathan smiles, "After a while, twenty years seems like a short time. At least I have found it that way."

"Do you mind if we look at these?" Freddie asks picking up a document.

"By all means," is the reply, "go ahead."

Daphne grabs an envelope and surveys its contents. She then looks at Mister Parker and asks, "Did you write up Miss Smith's current will?"

"No." is the reply, "It was done by my former partner, Bergen, about a few months ago."

"Might he at least remember some of the key parts to the will?" Inquires Fred.

"He might." Jonathan replies, "But I highly doubt you're going to get anything out of him."

"Why?"

"He developed Alzheimer's disease." Replies Mister Parker.

"Well, there goes someone who might shed some light on this case." Sighs Fred sinking into his seat.

Daphne then turns to face the clock hanging on the back wall of the office. "It's getting late, Freddie." She says, "We better get going."

"I suppose we should." Agrees the blond man arising from his chair. "You wouldn't mind if we take a few of wills with us, Mister Parker?"

The older man smiles, "By all means, don't let me stop you."

"Thank-you." The young people smile back as they leave.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, like, this is where the phone call came from." Ponders Shaggy as he, Velma and Scooby enter a small apartment. "Apparently." Replies Velma, "It would only be natural for Susie to make a phone call from the comfort of her own apartment. But what puzzles me is: why did she ask us to Sarah's house and not here?"

"Good point." Perks up Shaggy, "But now that we're here, what do we, like, do?"

"Look around." Shrugs Velma, "We may just find something."

"All right then," Shaggy smiles, "Scoob and me will check out the kitchen."

"Reah!" barks Scooby smacking his lips.

Velma just grins as she moves towards the bedroom.

"Like, Scoob!" exclaims Shaggy in delight, "We've just about hit the jackpot!"

"A full kitchen!" the two exclaim as they open the refrigerator every pantry.

"Sounds like those two are satisfied with their discoveries." Smiles Velma. However, that smile does not last for long. Out of sudden hopelessness of never finding this case, Velma lays down on the bed. Facing the ceiling, she removes her glasses and rubs her weary eyes. "I'm tired, exhausted, hungry…" she mopes to herself, "and still with no clues to get anywhere."

She then turns her head to the bedside table. Besides having the usual things: alarm clock; lamp; a few pictures, Velma also notices a little red blur. Quickly replacing her glasses, she notices that it is a book. She reaches over and picks it up. A quick scan through it proves that is a diary. Velma smiles at her discovery. She instantly flips to the last entry.

"_She has refused to pay anymore,_" She reads, "_and I have given her fair warning. Tonight I shall tell. Then she will get her just reward for what she did to Miss Smith and countless others. I have no fear of her…she wouldn't attempt to get rid of me with a crowd there. She knows that I know that she is too much of a chicken to do such a thing…even after all the experience she has had! The mysterious killer that has been terrorizing all over the country shall now be revealed mercilessly to the public...by me! And in her own home! Me!; a poor little blackmailer! I know her secret and only I! No one knows I have never written down her name! And I never will! However, not until the time is right._"

Velma feels a sudden chill run down her spine as she finishes the page. She looks at the next few pages. "Jinkies! There's more?" she questions. She then turns back to the previous pages and reads on.

---  
**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update.I have been a little busy lately. I shall try to update the little one a little sooner. Thanks everyone for reviewing!**


	11. The Note

"Jeepers!" exclaims Daphne as she and Freddie whiz down the highway. "What is it?" inquires her male companion. "Just listen to this," is the only reply, "it says here, '_I hereby leave the entire corporation of Smith Household Products to my cousin, Sarah Maclbe. For she alone, has proven herself to be far better than that of her family of slobs, drunks and genuine society outcasts._"

"Whoa!" whistles Fred, "I have heard of hating your family, but this takes the cake. To actually state it clearly in a document that is going to be read to them."

"Maybe that's why she wrote it in her will." Says Daphne, "So that her relatives won't kill her for saying that."

"Are you trying to be funny?" questions Fred giving his partner a side-glance. Daphne just grins and shrugs her shoulders. Fred then turns onto a more serious note. "Which will was that one anyway?"

Daphne instantly searches around for a date. "I would suppose the one that is before the missing one."

"Hmmm." Hums Freddie as they pass a sign advertising Mac Donald's, "How about some lunch?"

As Fred pulls the Mystery Machine into the drive-through, Fred ponders aloud, "I wonder if Velma and Shaggy have found anything."

"Probably so." Replies Daphne, "Velma has always had a way of finding clues no matter what the circumstance."

There is little chatter as Fred orders their meal. However once on the open road, something dawns upon Daphne. She then turns to Fred, who has a mouth full of fries. "Freddie," she says, "I know this a little last minute, but since we are in the area, I feel like donating a little blood…how about you?" Fred just swallows his food and stares at the girl beside him. "You know about the robbery they had." Persists Daphne, "And we might discover a few clues. Sort of like, killing two birds with one stone."

"Why should I want to kill birds?" Jokes the blond, "What did they ever do to offend me?"

"Trying to be funny, Fred?" the redhead asks sternly.

"I'm only getting back at you for that will joke earlier." Is the reply as Daphne gives a mean, yet playful, punch on the shoulder. "And here's its side order!" she laughs.

-

"Like, Velma?" Shaggy says as he and Scooby perk their heads through the doorway, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Shaggy." Is the reply, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've been very quiet lately." Replies the beatnik.

"And is that abnormal to my natural nature?" inquires Velma looking up from the diary and over her glasses, which had slid halfway down her nose.

"Like, I would suppose not." Considers Shaggy. He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little black book. "By the way," he says, "Scooby and me, like found this in a drawer." He hands it to Velma. "It's some sort of bank book." He explains. Velma flips through the pages with no reaction except with the slight rise of her eyebrows. "Is there anything interesting?" Inquires Shaggy.

"You could say." Is the reply, "It just shows how much Susie demanded."

"Ruh?" Perks up Scooby.

"Susie was a blackmailer." Explains Velma.

"Blackmailer?" echoes Shaggy, "Where did you get that from?"

Velma hands him the dairy, which is lying right beside her. "This is Susie's diary." She says, "The fact is stated quite clearly on the last entry."

Shaggy turns the pages to the mentioned spot and quickly reads it. "Like, zionks!" he exclaims, "So she was blackmailing the killer, and when the money stopped coming in, she decided to tell?"

"That's usually how the business goes." Shrugs Velma.

"Like, that's just fine." Says Shaggy, "But how does the ghost fit into all of this?"

"Ah," Velma smiles, "I just was reading about that. It appears that the ghost and Susie are one and the same."

"Like, wow! What a racket she had going!"

-

"What do I know about the robbery?" echoes the nurse at the blood bank as she injects a needle in Fred's arm. "Yes." Replies Daphne who is standing by, "What could you tell us about it?"

"Oh, I can tell you plenty." The nurse says, "Of coarse, they would all be rumors that travel around during the coffee breaks."

"Well continue." Persists Daphne, "there maybe some truth to them that we can follow on."

"All right." Sighs the other woman on deep thought; "there was talk for some time that Susie did it."

"Susie who?" asks Freddie.

"Bowers." Is the reply.

Daphne looks at the nurse and asks, "Susie Bowers worked here?"

"Ol' Skeleton-Finding Susie?" laughs the nurse, "Oh yeah!"

"Skeleton-finding?" parrots Fred as the nurse removes the needle.

"Yes," is the reply, "she made it her business to find every skeleton in our closet. Afterwards, she would blackmail us."

"What were her prices?" asks Daphne as she and Fred exchange places.

"They would start out pretty low." Answers the nurse as she prepares a needle, "Since we were fellow workers, it started at five."

"Dollars?" interrupts Fred as he rolls down his sleeve.

"Cents." Is the reply, "Which was okay. That is, until she wanted two thousand."

"Cents?" questions Fred.

"Dollars." Is the answer.

"So she would do this to every staff member?" clarifies Daphne.

"Yes."

"But what makes you think that Susie did it?" inquires Freddie.

"Because she said she would," Replies the nurse, "when we fired her."

"Sore loser, eh?" smiles Fred.

"I'd say." Is the reply as the needle is injected into Daphne's arm.

"When was she fired?" asks Daphne trying to pay to attention to the piece of metal penetrating her skin.

The nurse shrugs, "Roughly a month ago. Somewhere around there."

"Uh-huh." Fred says to himself. He then turns to the nurse, "What position did Susie actually have?"

"She was a nurse just like me." Is the reply. The needle is then taken out of Daphne's arm and she and Fred return to the lobby.

"Well imagine that!" smiles Fred, "Having three different jobs, all at the same time."

"She must have been very organized." Sighs Daphne as a nurse hands both her and Fred cookies.

"Probably." Replies Fred taking a bite out of his cookie. "Sad." He sighs, "Real sad."

"What?" inquires Daphne.

"What would a nice girl like that, who has a nice job and makes a fair income, be doing blackmailing people?"

-

It is not until midnight when Fred and Daphne finally meet up with Velma, Shaggy and Scooby back at Head Quarters.

"How was your trip?" asks Velma as Fred and Daphne walk in the door.

"Delightful." Replies Freddie as he draws Daphne near to him and gives her a hug. Daphne then moves away. She takes off her jacket and gives her reply, "Nauseating."

"Nauseating?" Questions Velma, "But you've never gotten sick in the Mystery Machine before."

"It's not motion sickness." Clarifies Daphne, "It's just that all that driving ruined a thousand dollar hairdo!" Daphne quickly leaves the room to go fix her hair as Fred and Velma just roll their eyes.

"By the way," pipes up Freddie, "Where are Shaggy and Scooby?"

"Where else?" smiles Velma, "In the kitchen! They're trying to get as much as they can, that edible, out of that lasagna we found last night."

Fred chuckles as he heads towards the kitchen, "I better go check on them."

"Like, hi, Fred." Greets Shaggy as Fred enters the room. "Like, when did you arrive?"

"Just a moment ago." Is the reply. "So, what's up?"

"Rhe Rasagna!" Barks Scooby happily.

"Like, I'm telling you, man." Says Shaggy, "This stuff is great!"

"I'd believe that." Fred smiles. He then picks up a few papers lying nearby. "Hey," he says picking them up, "what are these?"

"Those?" Replies Shaggy, "They are, like, the papers we have been taking out."

Freddie takes a good look at the papers. He tries to read whatever ink has not been smudged. After a while, he looks up at his friend. "Shaggy!" he exclaims hugging his friend in delight, "You found it!"

"What?" asks bewildered Shaggy.

"The missing will!"

"Shaggy found what!" Exclaims Daphne as she and Velma come rushing in from the lounge.

"The missing will!" laughs Fred, "The one that Jonathan Parker told us about, we had it all along!"

Velma takes the papers out of Fred's hands. "You have a copy of the will." She says.

"What do you mean?" asks Daphne.

"Simple." Explains the other girl, "These papers only contain the highlights of the will, no signatures or anything else to prove that it's a legal document."

"Let me see that." Says Daphne as she takes the papers. "Get a load of this," she says as she reads the last page, "_If you want this to remain a secret, pay fifty thousand dollars_?"

"Like, it must be one of Susie's blackmailing schemes." Concludes Shaggy.

"Reah!" agrees the Great Dane.

"How did you know that Susie was a blackmailer?" inquires Fred.

"Like, we went to her apartment and found her diary." Explains Shaggy as Velma holds up the book, which she brought with her.

"So that also means that Susie was responsible for all those hauntings." Concludes Fred.

"Exactly." Smiles Velma as she shows the diary to Fred and Daphne.

"That was a pretty elaborate show she gave us a few nights ago." Comments Fred.

"It's all here, Freddie." Says Daphne as she reads a few pages, "She used her blackmailing money to buy: hologram projectors; wind fans; acrobatic gear; the works!"

"But then what about the blood in the water?" inquires Shaggy.

"Simple." Thinks Fred, "She could have just attached it to the water main."

Daphne flips a few pages and smiles, "Hey, Velma., there's a little bit here about you!"

"Oh?" Says Velma sarcastically, "And what does the great blackmailer say about me? What sum of money does she demand?"

"Very funny, Velma." Says the older girl, "Just listen, '_When she first walked into the yard, I was ready to give her the fright of her life! However, it wasn't until the poor girl had fainted, when I realized that it wasn't her at all, but Velma Dinkley—the youngest member of Mystery Inc. Near the verge of panic, I quickly moved her and made her look as if she intended to spend the night in yard. It was then that I began to feel really good about myself…if I could frighten the wits out of one of the smartest people on the planet who, has made ghost hunting a career, imagine what I could do with her!_"

"So that's what happened that night." Comments Velma.

Freddie lets out a long yawn. "After all that driving, I'm bushed." "Me too." Agrees Daphne. "Like, no wonder." Shaggy says as he looks at the kitchen clock, "It's past midnight."

As the others make their way to their bedrooms, Velma returns to the lounge to finish reading the Susie's diary. She always enjoyed reading in the lounge rather than her own bedroom.

After a while, the entire building becomes silent. Velma is just reading the last few pages when a noise comes from the kitchen. Velma sets the book page down on the table beside her. "Scooby?" She calls out, "Shaggy? Is that you in there?" There is no reply. Velma gets up and walks toward the kitchen. "Come on, guys." She smiles, "It's a little too late for a midnight snack!" Her smile quickly fades when there is no response. "Is there anybody here?" she asks. A small scattering sound is heard from behind the door. Velma opens the door just as a small furry figure runs in front of her feet. She jumps back. "It was just a mouse." She sighs in relief, "I'll remember to set traps in the morning." She then enters the kitchen to inspect any damage that may have been done by the little intruder. After quickly checking, she leaves the room. "Brrrr. It's cold in here" Says Velma as she enters the lounge. "But that's funny, we keep the heat on all night."

The closing of the front door then interrupts her thinking. "What the?" Velma says under her breath as she walks to the front. Looking out the front window, she sees a dark figure running to a parked car down the street and driving away. Velma then checks the door. The lock had scratches to show that someone had used a lock pick to get in. Velma then locks the door and returns to her reading. However, when she picks up the book, a small piece of paper falls out onto the floor.

Picking it up, Velma examines it. It is definitely not a page that was originally from the book. Its message is what appears to have been typed on a computer. The message is short, yet gets straight to the point as Velma reads, "_So it appears, Velma, that you know my secret. However, I warn you…if you do not keep your mouth shut, I may be forced to drastic measures. You are a nice person and I do not want to hurt you if it is unnecessary. Just remember: this could mean your life and all others' who are involved._"

-

**A/N: So that ends this chapter. I probably won't update until semester two starts up. Thanks for reviewing, everybody!**


	12. Velma's Secret Plan

Velma quickly folds up the note and puts it into her pocket. "Under no circumstances should I allow anyone to see this." She says to herself. She takes the note from her pocket. Her hands quiver as she holds it. "I better hide it someplace." She tries to think reasonably, "We have no idea who we're dealing with…" she takes in a few deep breaths, "It is better that no one knows about this." She scans around the room. "Just where do I put it?" she thinks to herself. "The lab." She finally decides, "I'll hide it with a few chemicals. No one will think of looking in there." Velma turns to her laboratory then stops, "The diary," she says picking it up, "I better hide this too."

It does not take long to hide the objects. As Velma goes back onto the lounge, there is a strong knock on the front door. "I wonder who that could be." Thinks Velma. "Her? No, that's impossible. If she wants to get me out of the way, she would never do it here…the gun shots would wake up nearly the entire neighborhood." She reasons, "However, she could use other methods." Velma's mind instantly fills with any possible way of committing murder—from hanging to strangling—as she cautiously approaches the door. "Who is it?" she asks.

"Dorothy Taylor." Is the reply.

Velma lets out a sigh of relief. She has known the Taylor's for as long as she can remember. Dorothy was an old high school friend of Misses Dinkley and the two had often taken turns in babysitting the other's children. She opens the door and greets her neighbor, "Hello, Mrs. Taylor!" smiles Velma, "Lovely night isn't it?"

"Yes, indeed it is." Replies the elderly lady. She looks at the younger girl with a worried look on her face.

"Is anything the matter?" inquires Velma.

The older woman stops for a moment then says, "I was wondering if you were okay." "What do you mean?" asks Velma.

"Well," is the reply, "I was sitting in my living room watching the late show. I know I really shouldn't be up this late at my age…but you know: they have all the good, old shows so late at night these days."

"Yes," agrees Velma trying to get her caller to go straight to the point, "I often find myself in that predicament."

"At any rate," continues Mrs. Taylor, "I looked out my window, and who should I see, but a desperado trying to break in here."

"Jinkies!" exclaims Velma trying to make it sound as if the news was not new, "And did this person succeed?"

"He most certainly did." Is the reply, "In fact, he was in here for roughly a minute then ran down the road to a car."

Velma can feel her temperature rise and her heart beat faster. "Think fast, Velma." she thinks to herself, "Say the wrong thing and you're dead." Gathering a few thoughts together, she lies, "Well, you see," she starts, "we're thinking about changing the locks here."

"What about that mysterious person I saw?" inquires Dorothy.

"Oh, him," continues Velma smiling, "well, he is an old friend of ours. We had him arrested a few years ago for a bank robbery. Good thing, afterwards he went straight. He is now a locksmith and he came here to see how good our locks are against any outsiders. You know, we have some very expensive equipment here."

"Yes." Is the reply, "I see. But at one in the morning?"

"What better time to pretend to be a burglar and test the locks at night than in the day?" questions Velma.

"Yes, I would suppose so." Says Mrs. Taylor as she turns to go, "Well, goodnight, Velma."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Taylor." Responds Velma, closing the door.

She then sits on a nearby chair. "That was close." She comments as she wipes the perspiration off her face. It isn't long before a note is popped through the mail slot. Velma instantly picks it up. It appears to be another note from the mystery visitor. However, unlike, the first, this note is hand written. Velma finds this note a little more comfortable than the first, "_Very good, Velma! If you keep this up, you might live to a right old age!_"

"Jinkies!" exclaims Velma, "Now she is watching my every move!" She instantly looks around to see if there were any windows in which she could clearly be seen by the outside world. "How could she have known?" she asks herself. "Could it have been, Dorothy?"

"No, the person I saw leaving was tall and skinny. Dorothy is short and plump. Besides, she has no motive whatsoever to murder anybody."

"Maybe it was one of her children." She continues.

"No, they all got married and moved out of town."

"What do you think you're doing?" She asks herself, "You're accusing a woman, who has looked after you since you were a kid, of wanting to kill you the first slip of the tongue you make!"

"Not only that," She replies, "But I'm talking to myself." Velma buries her face in her hands. "I feel so tired." She groans. "Sleep, rest, that's what I need. I'm not even thinking straight." Putting the new note into her pocket, she leaves her chair and heads towards the staircase only to collapse from exhaustion on the couch. "This could only be a bad dream." She assures herself as she falls asleep.

The next morning, Daphne is the first one to descend the stairs. As she heads to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, she spots Velma sleeping in the lounge. "She must have been there all night." Ponders Daphne.

The sound of Fred's big feet interrupt her thoughts as he comes down the stairs. "Morning, Daph." He greets the redhead at the bottom of the steps. Daphne just smiles. Fred reaches ground level and looks in the same direction as Daphne. "How long do you think she was down here?" he asks.

"My guess is all night." Is the reply.

Fred just grins. He walks over to Velma and scoops her up in his arms. "Freddie!" exclaims Daphne, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" replies the blond man, "I'm taking Velma up to her room. She'll sleep a lot better there." He then walks to the stairs. "Come along, Daph." He says, "I'm going to need your help." Daphne instantly follows.

Upon entering Velma's room, Fred places Velma on her bed as Daphne covers the younger girl with a blanket.

Once back on the ground floor, the two encounter Shaggy and Scooby already on the road to preparing breakfast. "Good morning, late sleepers!" teases Shaggy. "Very funny." Chuckles Freddie, "We were just putting Velma to bed."

"Like, didn't she go to bed last night?" asks Shaggy.

"Apparently not." Replies Daphne as she pours herself a glass of milk.

"By the way," asks Fred, "what's for breakfast?"

"Ranrakes!" barks Scooby happily handing both Fred and Daphne two plates stacked high with pancakes.

Fred and Daphne take their plates to the table and eat their meal. After a while, they are interrupted by a knock on the door. Fred goes to answer it. "Morning, Sarah!" he greets the visitor, "Won't you come in?"

"Thank-you." Replies Sarah Maclbe as she enters, "I was just passing though the area and realized that I haven't seen you in a while. I had just heard about poor Susie."

"Yes." Sighs Fred, "It was quite disturbing."

"I can imagine." sympathies Sarah, "It's not everyday that someone is shot down right in front of you. And that poor boy…what's his name again?"

"Norville?" asks Shaggy from the kitchen.

"Yes." Replies Sarah, "It must have been nerve wracking for him." She looks around the room. "Is Velma up yet?" she asks, "I would like t talk with her."

"Like, I don't know." Replies Shaggy as he runs out of the kitchen, "But I'll, like, go and check."

"Reah, re roo!" says Scooby as he ran at his master's heels.

"Like, Velma!" Shaggy says as he enters Velma's room, "Get up! Like, Sarah's here!"

Velma rolls over and looks at Shaggy and Scooby in a puzzled manner, "Sarah?" She asks, "But she's dead."

"Not that one." Explains Shaggy, "The girl who calls herself Sarah."

"Oh, her." reminisces Velma as she rubs her eyes.

"Yeah, but, like, what do we do?" asks the beatnik.

"What do you mean?" inquires Velma.

"Remember?" reminds Shaggy, "We met Joni yesterday and she said that the real Sarah is dead."

"Oh yeah." Replies the girl.

"Like, wow, Velma, you must be really out of it!" exclaims Shaggy, "You don't remember anything about yesterday."

"I'm just very tired." Replies Velma.

"Like, you're telling me." Comments Shaggy, "But what do we tell Sarah?"

"At the present," is the reply, "nothing. Don't mention anything about Joni being in town or anything about what Susie's apartment or the diary, don't say anything about the diary!"

"Okay," says Shaggy.

"And make sure that neither Fred or Daphne talk about it either." Instructs Velma

"All right." Replies Shaggy. Then he and Scooby turn to leave, "By the way," he says turning to Velma, "Sarah wants to talk to you."

Upon hearing this, Velma feels a cold shiver run down her spine. Once the boys leave, Velma reaches into her pocket and pulls out the note, which she received last night. "It wasn't a dream." She says, "It really did happen." She instantly get up, brushes her hair and runs down the stairs. "Good morning." She greets her companions and Sarah. "It's about time you got up!" Daphne playfully teases.

Velma smiles, "Very funny, Daph." She then turns to Sarah, "Shaggy said that you wanted to talk to me about something. What exactly was it?"

"Well," replies Sarah, "since you have just woken up, I would suppose you would like some breakfast." Velma gives a confused face.

"I am also nearly late for work." Continues the other woman, "So maybe we could talk later. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn on Third Street. I will be off work at around four." With that, she leaves before anyone else can speak.

"Interesting conversation." Comments Shaggy as he and Scooby join the rest of the gang, "Like, none of you could get a word in edge wise." "Reah." Agrees his canine companion.

"Did you tell her anything?" Velma asks Fred and Daphne.

"No." replies Fred, "She did most of the talking."

"What do you make of it?" inquires Daphne.

Velma just grins, "It means that this mystery is just about solved."

"What!" exclaim her companions.

"Can't explains now." Replies Velma as she leaves, "If anyone wants me, I'll be in the lab."

"Wait!" cries out Shaggy, "Don't you at least want some pancakes?"

"No thanks," is the reply, "I'm not hungry."

Shaggy looks at Scooby, "Oh well," he says, "all the more for us!"

Fred and Daphne look at each other in confusion. "What does she mean by 'this mystery is just about solved'?" asks Fred. "I don't know." Replies Daphne, "But I have a pretty good mind to find out."

"Well, you go do that." Says Fred as he sits down at the table, "In the meantime, I'll just have some more of these delicious pancakes."

Daphne rolls here eyes as she walks toward the laboratory at the back of Head Quarters. As she enters the room, Daphne can hear Velma grumbling while typing on her laptop, "Her name, I need her name…" "Who's name?" asks Daphne. Velma instantly spins around. "Daphne!" she exclaims, "Don't sneak up on me like that! What are you trying to do…give me a heart attack?"

"Of coarse not." Replies the other girl. "Velma, what's going on here?" she asks looking around, "All the curtains are drawn, the phone is off the hook, you have just one light on, the door was closed. What's with all the secrecy?" Velma does not answer. Daphne then notices the laptop's screen. "And what's this?" she asks as Velma quickly slams the top down.

"Please, Daphne." Velma finally says, "I would like to be alone."

"But why?" inquires Daphne, "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!" Velma snaps.

"Velma, something is wrong." Daphne says sternly, "You may be trying to hide it, but I can sense it in you. You're not yourself. Now, what's the matter?"

Velma takes in a deep breath. "Okay, I'll tell you," she lies, "I have been feeling a little stressed lately."

"About what?" asks Daphne.

"My parents." Is the reply, "They have been getting into fights."

"So?"

"I'm afraid they may break up."

"Come on, Velma." Reasons, Daphne, "It can't be that serious. What makes you think they are going to separate?"

"They have been threatening."

"Oh, that's just silly!" exclaims the redhead.

"I know it does sound that way." Lies Velma, "I mean at their age. If they were twenty years younger, I would understand."

"Oh." Says Daphne, "I'll just leave you alone now."

"Thank-you." Velma says as she turns back to her work.

"What did you find out?" asks Fred as Daphne returns to the dining room.

"Nothing. She said something about her parents wanting to divorce, but I can tell she's lying." Is the reply, "She is definitely onto something, yet, refuses to tell us."

"Well, that's strange." Comments Fred, while he fills his mouth with pancakes, "Did you see the way she looked at Sarah when she came in?"

"Yeah." Agrees Shaggy, "Sorta, like, she was afraid of something."

Daphne, in deep thought, stares puzzled into space. "Why should Velma be afraid of Sarah?"

"Rhe riary?" asks Scooby.

"Like, that's right!" realizes Shaggy, "Velma asked us earlier not to mention about the diary around Sarah."

"Strange," comments Daphne, rubbing her chin, "I haven't seen it since last night."

"Then there must have been something in it that book that is the key to this mystery." Concludes Fred.

"But, like, how do we get her to tell us what it is?" questions Shaggy.

"Hi, guys!" Greet Velma as she walks in. She instantly grabs her jacket and heads to the door. "I'll see you later." She says.

"Wait a minute!" yells Daphne, "Where are you going?"

"Downtown." Is the reply, "I'm need to talk to Sam about something. I shouldn't be too long."

"Like, have a nice trip." Says Shaggy as Velma leaves.

"Shouldn't we follow her?" asks Fred.

"Like, are you crazy?" exclaims Shaggy, "Now is a good time to find out what is going on!"

"But just to see where Velma's going." Explains, Freddie, "There is a possibility that she is lying to us again."

"All right then, Freddie." Daphne says tossing the blond man his jacket and car keys, "You follow Velma. Shaggy and I will check out the lab."

Fred gets up and leaves, "I'll give you a full report."

Once the three are alone, Shaggy asks, "So, how do we, like, get into the lab?"

"What do you mean?" asks Daphne.

"Well," replies the skinny man, "most likely the door will be locked."

Daphne smiles. "It maybe locked," she says holding up a little key, "but I have an extra key."

"Like, where did you get that from?" asks Shaggy amazed.

"Velma gave it to me." Is the reply, "Just incase she gets locked in sometime during her more dangerous experiments."

Shaggy shrugs his shoulders as the three of them make for the lab door. Upon proving that the door is indeed locked, Daphne puts in her key and opens the door revealing a very dark room.

"Like, I've never seen the lab look this gloomy." Comments Shaggy as he looks around.

"That's because Velma always had the shades up to let the light in." explains Daphne. She reaches for the light switch and flicks it.

Seeing the room better in the light, it looks not like the usual, clean laboratory at all. "Like, now I know that something is wrong!" exclaims Shaggy, "Velma always makes sure that this place is clean." Shaggy moves around the room trying not to step on test tubes, scattered papers, and other items.

Scooby does the same. He finds the sight in front of him hard to believe. Just then, a paper ball spots his eye. "Raphne!" he calls out, "Rook rat ris!" His big paws pick up the paper and uncrumple it. "What did you find, Scooby?" asks Daphne as Scooby hands it to her. Daphne quickly reads it.

"Well," asks Shaggy, "what does it say?"

"Nothing important." Is the reply, "It is just a receipt for that equipment that Velma ordered a few months ago." Daphne places the paper onto the counter and says, "I guess there's nothing here to help us. We better go."

-

As Fred enters the police station, he can't help but wonder why Velma should want to keep her findings a secret. He walks over to the front desk. "Hank," he asks the officer, "did Velma come in here a moment ago?"

"She sure did." Replies Officer Hank, "She went straight to Sam's office."

"Did she say any thing about what her business was?" questions Fred.

"Nope."

Fred scratches the back of his head. He then notices a glass on Hank's desk. Picking it up, he asks, "Do you mind if I borrow this for a moment?"

"Don't let me stop you." Is the reply, "I don't know who's glass that is anyway."

"Thanks." Replies Fred. He then runs towards the Sheriff's office. Once there, he gently places the glass against the wall as not to make his presence known to Sam and Velma.

"Okay, Velma." Comes a male voice from within, "I'll make sure that everything is ready."

"Thank-you, Sam." Says Velma.

"Does the rest of the gang know about this?" asks Sam.

"I find that it is best not to tell them." Is the reply, "I'm already in more than I can handle."

"Even so," says Sam, "this is a very big risk you're taking."

Velma sighs, "I know. I just don't want to pull them into this too."

"You're afraid that things may go wrong?" questions the sheriff.

"Yes." Is the reply, "I mean, if anything happens to them that I can prevent, I would never forgive myself." She pauses for a moment then continues, "I have done the best I could do make sure that nothing unexpected will happen."

"But what if things do go wrong?" urges Sam, "What then?"

Velma leans back in her seat. "I have written a letter explaining everything." She replies, "The gang can work on from there. Of coarse, they and you will also be there."

"Well, I better start getting things ready." Says Sam.

"I better get going too. The gang will be wondering what is taking me so long." Velma says rising from her chair, "I'll see you at around three thirty?"

"I'll be there." Smiles Sam. "I just wish you could tell me more."

"Sorry, Sam." Sighs Velma, "But just incase thing go wrong. You never know."

As Velma walks towards the door, Fred makes a mad dash to the corner and waits. Velma exits the room and looks around. Fred notices a scared look on her face. Velma then walks towards the front entrance. She is carrying a medium sized briefcase that Fred had never seen before. Fred remains hidden until Velma is out of site then follows her back to Head Quarters.

At Head Quarters, he tells everything he heard to Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby. "What do you make of it?" he asks his listeners. "Sounds like Velma is making another trap, only this time excluding it from us." Says Daphne.

"Like, this has to be the first time that we aren't the bait of, eh, Scoob?" Shaggy asks the Great Dane standing next to him. "Reah!" barks Scooby.

"It's strange." States Daphne, "The way you described it, it makes it sound as if Velma is expecting for something bad to happen to her if she says too much about this case."

"Then Sam said that it's a big risk that she's taking." Ponder Shaggy, "Do you suppose that her life is, like, in danger?" Scooby whimpers upon the thought.

"There is that possibility." Replies Fred as he scratches his chin.

"And what if that is the situation?" asks Daphne, "What do we do?"

"Nothing." Replies the blond man, "Absolutely nothing until we know for sure."

-

**A/N: So, what plan does Velma have? Might thing actually go _wrong_? Find out in the next chapter! Thanks for reviewing, everyone!**


	13. The Plan Screws Up

**A/N: Notice: This chapter contains mild violence**

"But _when_ will we know for sure?" asks Daphne, "When Velma turns up dead somewhere?"

"I don't know, Daph." Replies Fred.

"Like, can we change the subject, or at least stop talking about a possible death!" cries out Shaggy as he hugs Scooby tightly, "You're, like, scaring us to death!"

"Raaah!" Screams Scooby jumping back. He points at Shaggy and exclaims, "Rou rust raid rit!"

"See?" Exclaims Shaggy turning to Fred and Daphne, "You've got me hooked!"

"I'm sorry, guys." Apologizes Fred, "But we have to view this situation from all different angles."

"Yeah?" says the other man, "Well, so far, you have only covered one."

"That's the only one that we can think of that makes sense." Explains Freddie.

Daphne instantly looks up. "Shhh." she warns, "Velma's coming."

Sure enough, Velma appears in the doorway. "Shaggy," she says, "I forgot to tell you, but we seem to have our kitchen invaded by mice. Just to let you know incase you come across some unpleasant things."

"Like, thanks for the warning, Velma." Smiles Shaggy. He then gets up. "I better set a few traps." Scooby instantly follows his master. Shaggy smiles at Velma, she does likewise, then the two leave together.

Fred grins. He turns to Daphne and whispers, "I think Shaggy is sweet on Velma."

"What makes you think so?" asks Daphne.

"Haven't you seen the way he's been acting around her lately?" replies Fred, "And, the way he is taking the news that her life is possibly in danger? Stir all those up, and you get a lover's brew."

Fred then gets up and walks toward the kitchen. "Freddie," asks Daphne, "where are you going?"

"To the kitchen." Replies Fred in a devilish sort of way, "I'm going to spy on our two little 'lovebirds' in there."

"Oh, Freddie." Scolds his girl friend, "Really you shouldn't. Shame on you."

"Care to join me?" is the man's only reply.

Daphne giggles slightly and replies, "Sure, why not? We've got nothing better to do." She then leaves with Fred.

Upon reaching the room, Velma looks at the clock on the wall. "I'll be in the lab if anyone wants me." She simply says. Then, softly under her breath as if saying to herself, "Three hours till showdown."

Daphne waits till Velma is gone till she parrots, "Showdown?" She looks at the boys working with the mousetraps. "I better go check on her." she finally says and leaves.

While Shaggy tries to place peanut butter on the trap, Fred leans on the counter and says, "You really have a crush on Velma, don't you?"

"Sorta." Is the reply.

"_Sorta_?" jokes his friend, "Your actions around her show more than just 'sorta."

"What do you mean?" asks Shaggy applying more peanut butter.

"Well, for instance," Replies Fred with a big grin on his face, "you're bating that trap a little too much."

Shaggy looks down at the mousetrap in his hand. He had covered nearly half of it in a thick layer peanut butter. He can feel his face go red as he takes in a deep breath. Fred can note a dreamy look in his friend's eyes.

"All right." Shaggy finally says, "I have been…I mean, I have had a crush on Velma since we first got back together. Like, you know, at Spooky Island."

"Oh, I see…" smiles Fred.

"And, like, that's why I get upset," continues Shaggy in a more serious tone, "when you and Daphne say that Velma may be in danger and that it is up to you two to save her. Well, let me, like, you something, if anyone is going to save Velma, it's going to be me!" He yells as he points to himself with a spoon, which he was bating the traps with. Fred smirks.

Shaggy then looks down at his shirt. Scooby then hands him a damp towel and Shaggy begins to clean off the mess.

"You know what your problem is, Shag?" smiles Fred, "You have not yet learned how to control your feelings."

"What does that mean?" asks the other man.

"Quite simple." Is the reply, "Just when I walked in here and start talking about Velma, you become all thumbs. You have no control on what your body's doing. It's like you're in a daze."

"Oh?" jokes Shaggy, "And you weren't like me when _you_ got your first crush on Daphne?"

"I'm not saying that, Shag." Fred defends himself, "It just is that I have now learned to control myself."

Shaggy gives Fred an 'oh, really?' expression. "Okay," Fred says, "I'll prove it to you." He picks up a mousetrap then continues, "You try to distract me with any thoughts about Daphne while I will set this trap."

"Are you sure?" asks Shaggy.

"Absolutely." Coaxes Fred, "Just go ahead."

"Ro rather." Groans Scooby as he places his paw over his eyes.

"Ready?" Freddie says, "Go."

As Fred places the kill bar into place, Shaggy leans on the countertop and says, "Oh Daphne. Beautiful, wonderful Daphne." Fred tries hard stay focused as Shaggy continues, "To know that of all the boys that hung out with her during those high school years, she chose you."

That does the trick. Fred looses his grip on the bar as it springs back onto his thumbnail. "YOWL!" Fred cries in pain. He instantly looks at Scooby and Shaggy as they chuckle amongst themselves. "Norville Rogers!" fumes Fred.

"Like, relax, Fred." sympathizes Shaggy patting his friend on the back, "I've had my fingers caught in traps plenty of times, the pain wears off in just roughly an hour."  
-  
"Velma?" asks Daphne as she enters the laboratory, "Can I talk with you for a moment."

"What about?" is the only reply for a dark corner of the room.

"The change in you lately." Answers Daphne.

"It better be quick." States Velma as she turns on a light, "And, please, shut the door, Daph."

Daphne does so and makes her way to the corner where Velma is sitting. "Velma," Says Daphne, sitting down, "Ever since last night, there has been a definite change in you..."

"I thought we already went over this." Interrupts the other girl.

"Yes, we did." Replies Daphne, "But your reason was not quite good enough."

"I know it was too corny." Admits Velma.

"Not only that," continues Daphne, "but you withhold clues and make a plan with out consulting or including any of us. What's with that?"

"I can't explain now, Daph." Answers Velma, "However, I promise that later, when this whole ordeal is over, I will explain everything to you."

"Velma," Daphne asks in a concerned voice, "have you ever thought of the possibility that there may not be a _later_?"

Velma looks at Daphne. Her face grows pale. "What do you mean?" she finally asks.

"There is the chance that you may not come out of this alive." Is Daphne's reply.

"How could you have known?" asks Velma. She instantly gets up and runs to a box of chemicals at the other end of the room.

"The note's not in there." Daphne simply states.

"Then, where is it?" asks the other in a near state of panic.

"Right here." Is the reply. Daphne picks up a piece of paper form a nearby table and hands it to Velma.

"But how did you…" starts Velma.

"Find out?" finishes the other girl, "When you went to town earlier, Scooby, Shaggy and I came in here to see what you were up to."

"How did you get in?"

Daphne just holds up her spare key.

"Oh." Sighs Velma. She sits down in a near by chair, places her head in her hands and asks, "Do the guys know about this?"

"No."

"Good." Velma breaths a sigh of relief, "I wouldn't want to worry them, especially Shaggy."

"So, I've noticed." Smiles Daphne, "However, they do know that you are hiding something from us."

"Always something." Velma groans. Just then, the telephone rings. Velma reaches and picks it up.

"Hello, Sam." She says, "All the preparations are made?…good…yes, I'll come over right away…see you soon." She hangs up.

"Shouldn't you at least let me in on this?" asks Daphne in a concerned voice.

"You read the note, Daph." Replies Velma, "It could be a real threat or just a bluff;" She looks at Daphne squarely in the eye, "and that's one gamble is do not want to have any of you involved." She then gets up and grabs the brief case which she brought from the Sheriff's office earlier. "We better get going." She finally says. She then puts her arm on the other's shoulder, "Don't worry, Daph." She says, "I made sure that nothing unexpected will happen."

"Somehow, I don't feel any better." Replies Daphne. The two then leave the room.

"But, I still don't understand where we're going;" Protests Fred as he puts on his coat, "or for that matter, what's going on."

"Everything will be explained later." Is Velma's only reply.

"Like, that's what you keep on saying." Shaggy points out, "But, like, what the heck does that mean?"

Velma does not give a verbal reply, instead she looks directly at the inquisitive questioner as if saying, 'That's for me to know and for you to find out, later.' Shaggy takes it as a sign to shut up.

Eventually, the bewildered gang boards the Mystery Machine as Velma give the orders on where to go. "The Holiday Inn!" exclaims Fred to make sure he heard the command right.

"On Third Street." Clarifies Velma.

"All right, then." Fred gives up, "Somehow, I don't think this is the same Velma Dinkley I grew up with. Ordering me around, really?"

"I'm sorry, guys." Apologizes Velma, "I'm just a little tense."

There is silence while Fred drives the van down the busy streets of Coolsville. Upon reaching their destination, they are immediately greeted by the Sheriff Copland and Sergeant Rogers.

"Like, dad!" exclaims Shaggy, "What are you doing here?"

"Copland told me about some extremely dangerous task that you kids are doing." Is the reply, "So, I came along to help him make sure that everything is under control."

"Well, that's very nice." Smiles Velma. Something then catches her eye. "What's the ambulance doing here?" she asks the sheriff.

"Just a precaution." Replies Copland.

"All right." Understands Velma, "Just keep that thing out of sight. It gives me the creeps just looking at it."

"I'll do that." Smiles Sergeant Rogers. He then walks off.

"We better go in now." Says the sheriff as he looks at his watch, "She will be here soon."

Velma just nods as the others follow the sheriff in. Sam takes them to a small room in the back of the hotel full with police equipment.

"What's all this?" asks Fred as he looks around. Wires coming from the walls and fuse boxes all lead to on area: a laptop set up on the small table in the corner with two officers monitoring it "The eyes and ears of the entire plan." Smiles Velma, "From here, you will be able to see and hear everything that goes on."

An operating officer flips a switch and a screen appears on a nearby television set as well as the laptop screen. The other plugs in a few speakers then turns to Velma, "We have tapped the telephone wire to the room, therefore, the telephone will work as a microphone. So all you have to do is take the receiver off the hook as soon as you enter."

Velma just nods upon the command. After a few minutes, Officer Rogers enters the room.

"So, is this the room?" Asks Freddie.

"Yes." replies Sergeant Rogers, "Velma just told us the room number."

Velma nervously looks at her watch. "I better get out there." She finally says. She takes a good look at all the people in the room as if it would be the last time she would ever see them again. She gives a sheepish smile and turns to the door. Halfway there, Scooby stops her. "Scooby!" Exclaims Velma, "What is it?"

"Ron't ro, Relma!" cries Scooby. Velma kneels down the Great Dane. "I'll be okay, Scooby." She reassures him as she scratches him between the ears. It relaxes the dog for a while just enough for Velma to sneak out the door. However, Scooby just continues on his whining and begins to scratch the door.

"Try to calm down that dog!" yells out one of the operating officers.

"Rog?" pipes up Scooby, "Rhere?"

"Like, he referring to you, Scoob." Replies Shaggy, "Now, come on, be a good pooch and quiet down."

Meanwhile, Velma paces back and forth in the lobby. Always looking at her watch and the front doors. After a while, her waiting pays off. Through the doors walks Sarah. Velma immediately gathers up her wits and approaches the other woman.

"Sarah!" greets Velma.

"Velma," smiles Sarah, "good to see you again. I wasn't expecting you this early."

"Just some polite business etiquette my parents enforced on me at a very young age." Shrugs Velma.

Sarah smiles at the remark. "Why don't you come with me to my room?" she offers, "We can talk peacefully there."

Velma just nods as she follows the other up a flight of stairs. Sarah unlocks her door and welcomes Velma in. "This is a pretty nice room." Comments Velma as she takes a good look around. She then walks over the telephone takes the receiver off the hook. "What did you do that for?" asks Sarah as she closes the door.

"Just to make sure that we are not disturbed." Lies Velma.

"Good idea." Agrees the other. She then places the '_Do Not Disturb_' sign on the outside of the door."  
-  
At that time in the storage room on the ground floor the controlling officers exclaims to the rest of the gang, "We have contact!" He immediately turns up the volume for the rest to hear.

Daphne looks at the television screen of the room. "Jeepers!" she exclaims, "It's Sarah!" The rest gather around to watch. Instantly, Scooby acts up again. Shaggy, in a desperate act to calm his pet down wraps a cloth around Scooby's mussel and sits on him.

"Like, sorry to do this, old buddy." Says Shaggy, "But you like, have to be quiet!"

"So," continues Sarah, "what type of business are you proposing?"  
-  
"It has to deal with this current case." Replies Velma as she takes a seat.

Sarah raises an eyebrow. "Really." She finally says, "This could be interesting. What about it?"

"I really got to hand it to you." Smiles Velma, "To think that you could kill so many people and still get away with it. Of coarse, you have had experience. You know, that is just an amazing example of what a person can do when they put their mind to it."  
-  
"What the heck is she doing?" asks Fred as he listens to the conversation.

"I have no idea." Is Daphne's reply.  
-  
"And your point is?" Asks Sarah waiting for Velma to reach the topic of their conversation.

"This." Is Velma's reply as she empties the contents of her bag onto the nearby table. Sarah looks at them. They mainly consist of: a pistol; a photograph; some newspaper clippings; and a few police files.

"What's with all of this?" Sarah asks puzzled.

"I was hoping you would say that." Smiles Velma, "All of these thing, besides the diary, point to you, Pam Ferret, as being the murderer of Catherine Smith and Susie Bowers."

Upon hearing her real name, Pam looks straight at her visitor. "Oh, yes." Continues Velma, "I know who you really are."

"Alright," sighs Pam, "you have me. I admit it, I killed Catherine and Susie. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"That is where the business comes in." is the reply, "I can't keep my mouth shut forever you know."

"What are you proposing?" asks Pam.

"Nothing much compared to what you are making now." Replies Velma, "Just a few thousand a month."

"What!" exclaims Pam.

"What can I say?" Velma explains, "The mystery business doesn't pay much, if it pays at all. I have a few science projects that I do in my spare time and the money that I make is barely enough to fund them."

Pam appears to ponder the offer as Velma then continues, "I will also make sure that no one will ever find out. I can put all these in hiding and say that through some twist of fate they got lost."

Pam walks over to the table and picks up the gun. She turns her back to Velma and asks, "Does anyone know that you are here?"

"No." Velma lies, "No one has the slightest idea where I am."

Pam turns and faces Velma again. "You know, Velma," she smiles, "you really amaze me."

Velma smiles slightly. She then feels a very uncomfortable feeling pulsing through her body. "However," Pam's smile fades, "I made this mistake once before and I do not intend to do it again."

"What do you mean?" asks Velma in a shaky voice.

"This!" exclaims Pam as she points the gun at Velma and fires.

Velma instantly lets out an instant cry of pain as the bullet pierces her skin into her ribcage.  
-  
"Relma!" Yells Scooby as he pulls off his gag and desperately tries to get out from under Shaggy.

"Fred!" cries out Shaggy, "Like, help me!" As Fred helps to subdue Scooby, one of the officers zooms the camera onto Velma.  
-  
Clutching her side, Velma exclaims, "I thought that gun was unloaded!"

"It was," is the reply, "when you brought it. One thing you should keep in mind, Velma: always think ahead of you opponent. There are four bullets left in this gun which is more than enough of what I need to finish you off." She then takes another shot at poor Velma. However, Velma makes a quick duck to the side thus making the flying bullet miss her head by a mere inch and into the wall.

"Jinkies!" Velma exclaims under her breath, "That was close!"  
-  
"Can't you do anything to help her?" Daphne asks Sheriff Copland.

"Don't worry, Daphne." Is the reply. Sheriff Copland then turns to a few officers at one end of the room. "Stand by." He orders, "When I give the command, we'll move in."

"I must congratulate you on a most wonderful dodge." Applauds Pam, "See if you can manage this one!" She fires again. This time, however, through the loss of blood, Velma reacts a little too late to move. The bullet penetrates into her right shoulder. The pain is horrific, yet not as bad as the first time.

"You'll never get away with this!" Velma finally shouts.

Pam gives a grin, "You seem to be forgetting." She says, "I am a master at the art of killing. I can take a crime scene and turn it into just your ordinary room and vice versa. One more aught to do it." Pam fires again. Upon receiving another bullet this time in her stomach, Velma's legs give out from under her and she falls to the floor. Tears of pain roll down her cheeks. Velma removes her glasses as to wipe her eyes just as Pam walks up to her, kicks her glasses out of Velma's hand and steps on the lens to grind them to dust.

Realizing that her only means of seeing is destroyed, Velma finds herself helpless in a room in which she may never leave alive.

"Velma," grins Pam as she paces back and forth before Velma, "you are a very interesting case. What should I do with you? Catherine was easy. However, you're different. How should I make your fate appear to be?"

Velma looks at Pam. "Please don't!" Velma pleas, "I'll do anything you ask me to!"

Pam throws her head back and laughs, "You don't know what a privilage it would be to say that I out smarted and knocked off the famous Velma Dinkley. I'm sorry, Velma, but you're too good of an opportunity to pass!"  
-  
"Sheriff!" Exclaims Daphne, "Do something!"

"Yow!" yelps Shaggy. Scooby instantly jumps up, throwing Fred to the floor, and runs out the door.

"What did you yell for?" Fred asks as he gets up.

"Scooby bit me." Is the reply.

"Somebody get that dog!" orders Officer Rogers.

However, it is too late. Scooby had long since ran up the stairs and robbed a cleaning maid of her keys.  
-  
"If you're going to finish me off," Velma says, "you better do it now and get if over with."

"Not yet." Replies Pam, "I'm still thinking on how to make your murder look. I know, I'll drop you off in some garbage bin. No one will ever think of finding you there or figuring it to be me."

Just then, the sound of a beep indicating that the door is being unlocked is heard.

"I thought you said that you were alone!" fumes Pam.

Velma does not reply.

Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Scooby.

"Scooby!" Velma exclaims, "Go away!"

"Don't go anywhere." Orders Pam. She then points the gun at Velma's head. "Take one small move," she threatens, "and this little gadget goes off."

Scooby gives a low growl. Raising his upper lips, he reveals his upper teeth. Before Pam knows what is going on, Scooby leaps at the hand, which she is holding the gun and traps it in his jaws. The attack makes Pam pull on the trigger. The bullet flings through the air, grazing Velma's head thus rendering her unconscious.  
-  
"Like, Scoob's in there!" yells Shaggy viewing the television screen.

Sheriff Copland runs over to check. "We better get in there." He says. He and a hand full of officers run out the door.

"Like, where's Velma?" Shaggy asks an operating officer. The officer looks at the screen then points to a small image by a wall.

"Right there." He replies.

Fred, Daphne and Shaggy look at each other then run out the door to join the sheriff.

"The door's locked." An Officer reports to Sheriff Copland.

"Then don't just stand there," orders Copland, "get a key!"

The officer then runs off.  
-  
Scooby manages to retrieve the gun from Pam's grip. He takes the gun and throws it to a far corner of the room. He then focuses his attention on Pam lying beneath him.

"All right, pooch." Grins Pam, "I give up you win."

"Rat's retter." Scooby finally says. He gets off up his prisoner only to be punched in the nose.

"Row!" cries out Scooby. He jumps backwards and rubs his hurting nose. At the same time, Pam runs over to where the gun landed and runs over to where Velma is lying. Placing the barrow of the gun against the other girl's head.

"I always finish what I start." Says Pam. With that, she pulls the trigger.  
-  
**A/N: Scared yet? Anyway, thanks for reviewing, everybody!**


	14. The Loose Ends Tied

"Ro!" Scooby yells as the gun produces a large clicking sound.

"What the—?" says Pam. She then inspects the gun. "Empty!" she fumes. Hearing the good news, Scooby crouches his back and prepares for an attack. Noticing Scooby's position, Pam chucks the weapon across the room to distract the Great Dane. It does little good, however.

Scooby leaps into the air and pins the woman under his heavy body just as Sheriff Copland unlocks the door.

Officers instantly pour in with guns. They walk over and relieve Scooby. While being handcuffed, Pam has her rights read to her by the leading officer.

Scooby and the rest of the gang instantly run over to Velma is lying. It is indeed a gruesome sight. Velma's once orange sweater is now a deep red from being drenched with blood as well as the carpet. Thankfully, Velma still shows some signs of life. Daphne quickly checks for a pulse. She finds one, a weak one. Velma stirs slightly and opens her teary eyes. She looks up at Daphne and attempts to speak. She, however, is stopped by Daphne who tells her to save her strength. Instead, Velma mutters, "Well, that was a little unexpected, wasn't it?"

Daphne smiles slightly as Velma returns to unconsciousness.

A minute later, the paramedics arrive. They carefully place Velma on a stretcher and carry her down to the waiting ambulance. Shaggy stops one of them. "Will she be okay?" he asks.

"It's a little early to tell." Is the reply, "Right not, it's basically a fifty-fifty chance."

The paramedic then leaves to join his companions. Shaggy notices the officers leaving with their prisoner. After getting their attention by snapping his fingers, he walks over to Pam, and looks her straight in the eye. "Listen to me, Pam Ferret," Shaggy says, "you better hope that Velma lives or I'll see to it personally that there'll be a double funeral!"

"Shaggy!" exclaim Fred and Daphne.

Shaggy turns to his friends. Judging from the expression on their faces that they could not believe that he would act that way, Shaggy can feel his face grow red.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later at the hospital, the others wait patiently in the waiting room for what appears to be a lifetime. Velma's parents were telephoned earlier and had joined the gang. Everyone is on the verge of falling asleep just as a doctor enters the hall and walks towards them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley?" he says in a low voice.

"Yes?" Mr. Dinkley says arising from his seat.

"I just came from your daughter's room." Is the reply.

"Is she all right?" asks Mrs. Dinkley.

The doctor smiles, "She is going to be just fine."

The others let out a sigh of relief.

"May we see her?" inquires Daphne.

"Of coarse." The doctor smiles, "She's sleeping now."

The others follow the doctor to a dark room where Velma is. It is a relatively small room with only one bed. Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley walk up to the foot of the bed and look at their daughter. Velma's head, shoulder and stomach are totally bandaged. As she sleeps in her bed, the expression on her face gives the impression that she is totally unknown to her previous experience.

"You are welcome to spend the night here." Offers the doctor, "Just incase she wakes up."

"Huh?" asks Fred. He then glances at his watch. It is one in the morning. "Oh, yeah." He smiles, "I seem to have lost track of the time."

"And I would assume that you are too tired to drive anyway." Adds Mr. Dinkley.

"That too." Yawns Fred.

Within minutes, everyone beds down for the night. The rest of the night is silent with only the familiar hospital sounds of beeping machines and talking nurses.

As the night gives into day, Velma finally regains consciousness. At first, her vision is a little worse than what she is used to. After blinking a few times, it finally returns to 'normal'.

"Where am I?" Velma asks herself. Suddenly, there is a sharp pain in her head. "Ow." She groans as she raises her hand to rub her head. In doing so, she realizes that she is hooked up to two tubes leading to two bags: one for IVs and another for blood. Both of which are almost empty.

Velma squints her eyes to try do observe the rest of her surroundings. It is then that she notices a glass case on the table next to her.

"Finally," she grins to herself as she takes out a pair of glasses, "no more of this guessing."

She quickly puts them on. The sight of the room astounds her. Both her parents and the rest of the gang are sleeping half on the furniture and the floor. All except Scooby, who had curled up at the foot of the bed on her legs.

After awhile, a nurse walks in with breakfast.

"Good morning." She says with a big grin on her face. Velma turns to the nurse and gives her the 'quiet' signal. The nurse, in turn nods and whispers, "Did you have a good sleep?"

"Sleep?" replies Velma, "Out cold is more like it."

The nurse lets out a chuckle and adjusts Velma's bed. She then places her tray on the table and leaves.

It is not long before Velma begins to notice numbness in her legs.

"I better get Scooby off me." She thinks. Velma quickly picks up a roll, breaks it into several pieces and roll them into neat little balls about the size of marbles. She then tosses one towards Scooby's nose. Is misses by a slight inch. Velma snaps her fingers in frustration. Just then, Scooby stretches and lets out a big yawn. Velma quickly throws another ball. It lands right in the Great Dane's mouth. Scooby instantly jumps back and begins to cough up the object. He is interrupted, however, by light giggling from Velma. Scooby suddenly sits up and swallows his bread ball.

"Relma!" yells Scooby as he licks her face.

"Cool it, Scooby!" jokes Velma, "I don't think the hospital staff will find this 'sanitary'!"

It is not long before the room is filled with laughter.

"Okay, Scooby." Chuckles Velma as she pushes Scooby off, "That's enough."

"Rokay." Retreats Scooby. He then makes a sudden move and swipes the milk off the tray.

"Scooby!" Velma scolds as she reaches for it. Just then, she jolts her bandaged shoulder. "Yow!" she jumps back in pain.

The scream, in turn, wakes up the others in the room. Daphne looks at Velma and asks, "How long have you been up?"

"Longer than you." Is the reply.

"Velma Dace Dinkley!" scolds Daphne, "How dare you wake up and not tell us!"

"Well…" begins Velma.

"Like, zionks!" exclaims Shaggy in a teasing manner, "The mummy speaks!"

Velma, in turn, gives him a 'very funny' look. "Ha, ha, ha." She replies, "Despite the fact that I'm all bandaged up and this sling does not help much, huh?"

"Hey lay off, Shag." Pipes up Fred, "Can't you see Velma is trying to recover from one trauma? I say: let her get over the first one and then you can lay on a new one."

"All right!" laughs Velma, "I can see that until I get these bandages off, I will be the focus point of your inconceivable and merciless ridicule."

"Like, what's that supposed to mean?" questions Shaggy.

"It means:" answers Daphne patting Velma on the head, "that Velma is mentally sound."

"Thanks a lot." Velma sulks.

"Are you feeling okay?" asks Mrs. Dinkley.

"Yes, mom." Is the reply.

"Like, are you sure?" clarifies Shaggy, "'Cause if you aren't, I can always readjust the bed and…"

"Shaggy," interrupts Fred, "don't you have anything else to do?"

"Like, yeah." Is the reply. Shaggy then goes over to the breakfast tray. "Are you, like, going to eat this?" he asks.

"Yes," replies Velma, "I am, like, going to eat that."

"Are you sure that you are going to like this food?" continues Shaggy, "I mean, hospital food isn't exactly the best thing in the world."

"Shaggy!" Velma emphasizes, "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday. You try doing that."

"Gee wiz, Velma!" pouts Shaggy, "Scoob got the milk and I can't get anything!"

"Rhehehe" chuckles Scooby as he sucks the milk through a straw.

"Okay," Velma gives in, "but only one thing."

Shaggy quickly grabs a jello cup off the tray and joins Scooby in a far corner of the room.

Suddenly, the door swings wide open and Sheriff Copland walks in. "Good morning everybody!" he cheerfully calls out.

"Great, more company." Groans Velma.

"I can tell your not feeling well today, Velma" chuckles Copland.

"Let me put it this way," is the reply, "despite the fact that I ache all over, I'm feeling just fine."

"I can see that you guys are all going to talk," breaks in Mr. Dinkley, "so, I will just go and get some coffee."

"I'll join you." Adds Mrs. Dinkley as she picks up her purse. The two then leave.

Copland turns to Velma. "I just wanted to tell you that I am going to need an explanation for this case. It may be needed for Pam's trial."

"Yes, Velma." Encourages Daphne, "You said you would explain later and, this is later."

"Okay, okay." Velma replies, "I guess I have left you guys in the dark long enough."

The others instantly sit down in the nearest seat and listen eagerly for Velma to speak.

"It is a tale of once upon a time." Begins Velma, "A story of two major companies who were rivals. Both were in making domestic products. One is Smith's Household Products, the other was formally known as Ferret Department Store."

"Like, would we be referring to Pam?" Shaggy inquires.

"Not Pam, exactly." Is the reply, "But her parents."

"What do you mean about 'formally'?" Fred asks.

"Of course!" perks up Daphne, "I remember that old store. It was bought by Smith's after the death of the Ferrets."

"When was that?" Fred asks puzzled.

"Oh, a long time ago." Replies Daphne.

"I remember that." Contemplates Shaggy.

"Well, why is it that everyone remembers but not me?" Freddie complains.

"Fred," Velma responds, "that was so long ago that the only form of news that you ever read was the movie listings and that magazine Comics Weekly."

"I stopped reading that ten years ago." Freddie defends himself.

"Which is exactly when this was." Daphne strikes back.

"Burn!" Shaggy and Scooby chorus out.

Sheriff Copland lets out an "Ahem".

"I don't wish to be rude or anything," he says, "but will you please make this long story short, but I do have a deadline for this report."

"Yes." Smiles Velma. "As Daphne has pointed out, the Ferrets did die in a car accident. Pam was no more than nine. She and her elder brother were put in the custody of their aunt and uncle, with whom she grew up. During this time, she and her brother had only known that their parents' untimely deaths were that of a mere accident. It wasn't until high school, however that this image was to change."

Everyone exchange puzzled looks and stare at Velma for an explanation.

Velma grins then continues. "She met the real Sarah Maclbe who told her about her aunt's business, how some time ago she bought this other business and so forth. It was through this information that Pam began to do a private investigation about her parents' death. She discovered that Catherine Smith was responsible for tampering with the breaks of the family car and, thus, the accident. It was then that she derived a plan to avenge her parents. Therefore, all those unsolved murders across the country these past years."

"She was responsible for all those?" asks Copland.

"Yes."

"But when did she become Sarah?" inquires the sheriff.

"Like, a few months ago." Shaggy answers, giving Velma a break, "After she heard of the real Sarah being killed in an airplane accident."

"I see."

"It was through this unfortunate event, that Pam saw the perfect opportunity for her revenge." Continues Velma, "Acting as a relative she stood to inherit and claim back what was once hers. She had planed it all out to the last detail."

"However, everything was messed up," Fred explains, "when somehow Smith got smart and disinherited her."

"Therefore," Daphne joins in, "Pam figured that she had to act fast to carry out her revenge to the max."

"How did she do that?" Copland asks as he continues his writing.

"Pam had phoned Catherine and invited her to her house where she invited Catherine over." Explains Velma, "Pam instructed Catherine not to tell anyone about her invitation. Therefore, Catherine's disappearance would appear to be deliberate."

"And it was during this visit that Catherine was killed?" asks Copland.

Velma nods.

"But what about the new will? Wouldn't it have gone into effect?"

"It was stolen." Fred replies.

"By Pam?" inquires the sheriff.

"No, is," the reply, "by Susie."

"Like, yeah." Shaggy jumps in, "Susie had figured it all out and used the will, other pieces of information and the 'haunting' to blackmail Pam."

"Thus the need of her elimination." Finishes Velma.

Sheriff Copland continues to write for a while then looks up at the gang. "I take it that this blackmailing went on until Pam refused to pay?"

"Yes."

"What was your first clue to Pam?" he asks.

"Quite simple," replies Fred, "just the way everything was set up. I mean, the body in the garden only the owner could do that."

"Not only that," picks up Daphne, "but Susie's murder was another. Remember there were markings on the window? That was because it was opened only from the inside and someone who had a key and knew the house well."

"However, our biggest clue were her reactions to last night." Says Velma.

"What?" exclaim her companions.

Velma blushes as she explains, "Let's face it, there was no solid evidence against her."

"And you made up that entire charade just to obtain that proof?" Shaggy asks as a frown crosses his face.

"Yes." Is the reply, "which is also one of the main reasons I did not have you included in the planning."

Velma looks sternly at him. Sheriff Copland notices the tension between the two. He promptly states that he has all that he needs and leaves.

"I thought I did the right thing in not telling you." Velma finally breaks the silence.

"Oh really?" Shaggy fires back.

"You didn't think that I would put you guys in a situation that could get you killed, would I?" defends Velma.

"Oh yeah?" shaggy says in a smart aleck voice, "You, like, didn't do so bad yourself nearly getting your head blown off!"

"I'm sure we can settle this out of court." Velma blows, "As I can see that you are filing a lawsuit against me."

"Will you two please stop it?" Daphne breaks in, "I for one believe that this is no time to have an argument."

"Here, here!" agrees Fred.

Shaggy and Velma look each other in the eye and break out into laughter over their childish acting.

After a few weeks, Velma is released from the hospital. As well, start Pam's long series of trials. Velma's uncle Fritz returns home as well as Shuggy and her family. Everything begins to return to normal. However, Velma's near-death experience still remains fresh in the back of her mind.

This memory was only more painful as she was watching the news one day. When Pam was being taken from a courthouse. As she passes the news camera, she yells, "If you can hear me, Velma Dinkley! This isn't over yet! I am still not done with you—I will get both you and the rest of Mystery Inc. You have my word on it!"

**A/N: The End…or really? This is only the beginning, folks! Hopefully the second part won't be as long as this one.**


End file.
